Without Magic
by ladyinthecloak
Summary: Voldemort was defeated, but the magic disappeared. What is a witch to do? SSHG
1. Chapter 1

Without Magic

by _ladyinthecloak_

PG-13

Disclaimer: Still not mine, although I wish they were.

_Chapter I - The Magic's Gone_

The feeling of euphoria that followed Voldemort's demise was short-lived. As the survivors counted the lives lost, the initial sense of relief that the side of the Light was victorious diminished quickly. Professor McGonagall--victim of Avada Kedavra, casually thrown by Pettigrew seconds before The-Boy-Who-Should-Have-Lived delivered his Unforgivable to his best friend's former pet rat. Harry Potter--victim to the devious skills of Lucius Malfoy with not even a remote chance to come out alive. The entire Weasley family--Vanished by a group of Death Eaters who had long been planning to punish the blood-traitors. More than half of Harry Potter's sixth year classmates--killed by the rampaging followers of Voldemort.

Hermione Granger found some measure of solace in one fact--Professor Snape was, after all, on the side of the Light. She thought her heart would stop when, in the last breaths of what would soon become known as the Final Battle, she found herself face to face with him.

"Not a word, Miss Granger," he hissed in a low voice and then proceeded to cast deadly Unforgivables in quick succession on several Death Eaters, who had been hiding nearby under concealment charms.

When Hermione came out of her shock-induced stupor, she witnessed her former professor being bound by Mad-Eye Moody and Tonks.

"Are you out of your mind?" she screamed at the two Aurors. "He just saved my life and killed probably more Death Eaters in one go than you two combined. What are you arresting him for?"

Moody and Tonks looked at her, dumbstruck. Moody turned his attention from Snape to the young witch.

"Miss Granger." He looked her up and down, as if assessing her suitability for being taken into the care of Aurors. "Have you forgotten that this is the man who killed Albus Dumbledore less than a year ago and then disappeared off the face of the earth?" he asked her in his typical growling manner.

Hermione glared at the Auror. "No, I have not forgotten. But, like everyone else, I only know Harry's point of view." She took a deep breath, hoping this would stop her from sobbing over the loss of her friend. Then, the young witch continued, her voice shaking slightly, "I do know from Harry that Professor Dumbledore trusted Snape implicitly. And I am sure you will agree that Professor Dumbledore was not only very powerful, but also very intelligent. I simply cannot imagine that he trusted Snape without a valid reason. And I do believe the law states that a man is innocent until proven guilty!" She held Moody's glare, unafraid and absolutely determined to do anything to keep Snape out of Azkaban. She owed him her life now and did not take it lightly.

Neither Moody nor Tonks found words to counter Hermione's. Snape, unable to speak due to the various restrictive spells the two Aurors had put on him, stared at her, the expression on his face full of surprise. _Does he think I'm going to deliver him to Azkaban personally after he just saved my life?_ Hermione thought impatiently. Then, turning back to Moody again, she demanded, "At least give him the chance to explain his action. He has as much right to be treated fairly as the next person. And you are not above the rules, Mr Moody!"

Tonks whistled lowly in appreciation of Hermione's words. "Wow, Hermione. I didn't know your sense of justice went beyond house-elves..." She continued, smirking, "Or maybe you secretly have a soft spot for him, eh?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at her fellow Order member. "Don't you think you're wasting time here? Instead of dealing with him," she nodded in Snape's direction, "we should see if Madame Pomfrey needs help, or if we can find any more survivors on the grounds," she suggested. Her words drove home the fact that a viscous battle had just been fought, and there were more important things to do than shipping a Death Eater off to Azkaban, one whose crime was obscure and one whose most recent actions had not only saved a student's life, but also, in all likelihood, cut short the duration of the battle. The only Death Eaters who remained behind were all dead now.

"We'll leave him here bound and deal with him later," Moody growled, already on his way out and closely followed by Tonks, who was keen on finding her lover, Remus Lupin.

Hermione moved deliberately slowly, and when she was certain that neither Tonks nor Moody would look back at her, she turned to face her former professor and silently cast the spell to unbind him. Then she set off at a run, in the vain hope of finding some of her former classmates alive._ He doesn't have a wand, but at least he has a chance to get out and hide from them,_ she thought as she ran towards Hogwarts' large entrance door.

The young witch combed through the grounds carefully, not wanting to miss anyone who might still be alive. She didn't know how long she had been searching when she heard a moan. Looking around wildly--and panicking that the sound was merely an illusion brought on by her desperate hope, even need, to find someone, anyone, alive--her heart skipped a beat. There, in a ditch on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, barely a stone's throw from Hagrid's garden where years ago giant pumpkins used to grow, lay a lone figure with dirty-streaked blonde hair and torn robes. Hermione hurried over to the ditch and recognised Pansy Parkinson.

"Pansy... Can you hear me?" Hermione asked urgently. She got another moan for an answer. The young witch fingered for her wand in her sleeve while keeping her eye on Pansy, grabbed it, and sent red sparks up to call for help. Then, she sat down next to the injured witch and started talking to her, all the while waiting for help to arrive. Pansy was unresponsive except for the occasional whimper. Hermione was about to give up waiting when Luna Lovegood arrived together with Colin Creevey.

"Oh, thank goodness! Another one who survived," Luna remarked. "I've been afraid that we have found all the survivors, and the hospital wing is nearly empty!" She evidently had not lost her ability to state the most uncomfortable truth.

"Luna, Colin, can you take her to Madame Pomfrey? I want to search some more. Finding Pansy made me hope for more people alive out here," Hermione said with a tone of urgency in her voice.

An hour or two later, she found Professor Sprout and Neville Longbottom huddled close together, both obviously injured, cold, miserable, and unable to move without wands. But thankfully, both were conscious.

Hermione sent red sparks into the sky, but it appeared that she was rapidly losing strength. The sparks that came out of her wand did not rise to their usual height, and the normally bright red had a decidedly tired shade to it.

"Hermione, you must be utterly exhausted. Give me your wand and I'll try," Professor Sprout said kindly.

Hermione handed her wand to the older witch who immediately cast the spell. Her action yielded the same result. Sprout sighed. "Oh, well. It was worth a try, but I guess sitting out here in the cold for hours and the injuries have weakened my magic as well..."

Hermione turned to Neville. "Do you want to have a go, Neville?" she asked. "I don't think anyone has seen our alert efforts..."

Neville took her wand from Professor Sprout's hand and attempted the alerting spell. The result was the same--tired, bland sparks that barely reached the height of a young tree.

They waited silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione voiced her thoughts first after some time."I don't think anyone saw our sparks, and it's getting dark now. I'll go up to the castle and send someone down to get you."

She got up with difficulty, exhausted and also stiff from sitting in the cold, and dragged her feet towards Hogwarts. The normally short walk seemed to take forever, but eventually, Hermione reached the front doors of the castle. Inside, she was greeted tiredly by a small group of people, Remus Lupin and Tonks amongst them, and, to her great joy, Seamus Finnegan. After exchanging emotional hugs with Seamus, she addressed the group, giving Professor Sprout and Neville's location. Tonks and Remus immediately left to bring the Herbology professor and her best student back to the castle, so Madame Pomfrey could take care of their injuries.

Hermione stayed inside with Seamus, Luna and Colin, too exhausted to engage in any more activities or even conversation. She was thankful that at least Luna and Colin were fit enough to conjure some mattresses and blankets, so nobody had to sleep on the bare, cold floor. They all fell asleep soon, right in the entrance hall, each one deadly tired, nobody wanting to talk as it would doubtlessly lead to the subject of the painful events of recent days.

Hermione was rudely awakened by angry, thunderous yelling. "Where the hell is he? Someone must have unbound him! He didn't have a wand!" She recognised Mad-Eye Moody's voice, and the previous day's happenings entered her consciousness.

_Oh dear, he's discovered Snape's gone,_ she thought and kept her eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep, not wanting to face reality nor the old Auror.

The young witch felt Moody's presence as he bent down to shake her awake. "Miss Granger," he growled, "did you unbind Snape?"

Hermione slowly opened her eyes and then yawned before looking at him, schooling her face into an innocent expression. "No, sir. I left at the same time as you and spent the rest of the day looking for survivors. Then, I came here and fell asleep. How could I have unbound him?"

His reaction, or rather lack of it, led her to conclude that either the paranoid retired Auror had been more severely affected by the latest events than was obvious, or that age and too long a career of hunting dark wizards and witches had finally caught up with him. He appeared to weigh her words carefully and then got up, mumbling, "How the hell did that traitor escape..."

Hermione briefly looked around her. Everyone but Tonks was still asleep, and there was no daylight yet. She turned over and fell asleep again, dreading to have to face the new day, to learn of more losses, to hear more devastating news.

When she woke up hours later, daylight was flooding the entrance hall.

"Here. I've just been to the kitchen." Seamus handed her a steaming cup of coffee, which she gratefully accepted.

They drank their coffee in silence, looking at each other now and then, both too reluctant to bring back the dire reality with words.

Eventually, Hermione got up. "Do you want to go and check out Gryffindor Tower? Maybe it's still standing... I'm dying for a long, hot shower!"

Seamus agreed, and the two set off to examine the state of their House. Everything appeared to be intact except one staircase, which was missing a few steps. The common room was cold and deserted, emitting a feel of neglect. Seamus walked straight to the fireplace and took his wand out. "A bit of heat wouldn't go amiss here," he murmured and cast the spell to start a fire. The fireplace remained cold. Seamus looked at Hermione and then cast the spell again. But no fire lit up.

Hermione sighed. "Here, let me try," she said, trying to hide her impatience at his lack of skill. The young witch took out her wand, pointed it at the fireplace and cast _Incendio_, like she had done so many times over the past seven years. However, this time, her spell yielded no result.

"Oh, Merlin!" Seamus exclaimed. "If I fail a spell, it's kind of normal, but you?"

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. "You know," she said slowly, "I failed to send sparks up last night, and so did Professor Sprout and Neville. We all thought it was because we were so exhausted... But both you and I slept an entire night since. This can't be exhaustion..."

"But... but..." Seamus stuttered. "But last night, Luna and Colin conjured mattresses and blankets..."

They looked at each other, then exclaimed in unison, "Hospital Wing!"

"Yes, that's our best bet to find out what's happening, but I really do need a shower first," said Hermione. "Let's meet back here in twenty minutes."

They parted ways, Hermione heading towards the prefects' bathroom, whilst Seamus set off to the boys' communal showers.

The young witch enjoyed the stream of hot water that came shooting out of the shower. However, too soon it reduced to a trickle of cold, murky water. When she returned to the common room, not at all happy about the abruptly shortened shower, Seamus reported a complete lack of hot or clean water.

The two young people made their way across the castle to the Hospital Wing, hoping to resolve the problem with magic there. They were greeted by a gloomy looking Madam Pomfrey.

"We have a problem. There's less and less magic..." the matron stated, close to tears. "Poor Miss Parkinson. Without magic, there is nothing I can do for her."

"Are the potions ineffective now?" Hermione asked, bewildered.

"Some of the potions are working fine. Mr Longbottom responded well to the _Cruvanesco_. But the rib-mending potion I used on Miss Parkinson for her broken ribs shows absolutely no result." The mediwitch sounded defeated.

Hermione was thinking fast. She knew the _Cruvanesco_ potion contained Mandrake leaf as the main active ingredient. She also knew that in Muggle herbal wisdom, Mandrake leaf was typically used as a pain-numbing herb. The rib-mending potion was brewed just like any ordinary potion, but in order to make the potion effective, certain wand movements had to be used in the last stage of brewing, without which the potion would be completely ineffective. She wondered if somehow Voldemort's death had affected the magic.

"Yesterday, it was quite late, and we could not produce sparks with the wand outside on the grounds. But last night, in the entrance hall, Luna and Colin managed to conjure blankets..." Hermione paused, then turned to the mediwitch. "Madam Pomfrey, when did you start having trouble with magic?"

"Only this morning," Madam Pomfrey replied. "Yesterday, all the spells and potions worked fine. I had no trouble detecting anyone's injuries..." She paused and took a deep breath. "Now, I wish I had administered the rib-mending potion to Miss Parkinson last night..." The mediwitch sighed deeply.

Hermione voiced some more thoughts. "I think the magic might still be working in some places. It seems to me that the less magic was used in a place, the quicker it stopped working, such as outside on the grounds, an open area, where magic could disperse quickly. If we find a room within Hogwarts where a lot of spells were used, and where the magic can't escape easily, we could take Pansy there and try the potion again. It might be working with the lingering magic," she suggested.

"Your idea has merit," the mediwitch conceded. "Now, we just have to figure out which room has the greatest amount of magic... a room where more magic was used than here in the hospital wing..."

"What about the Charms or Transfigurations classroom?" Neville suggested timidly from his bed near Pansy's.

"Good point, Neville," Seamus praised his friend. "On the other hand, the lower years probably use much weaker magic... There must be somewhere here in the castle where the magic is stronger than any other room."

"You're right, Mr Finnegan," croaked Professor Sprout from her bed across the room. "What about the Room of Requirement?"

Hermione agreed immediately. The magic the DA had utilised back in her fifth year was likely more than any classroom had ever seen. "Yes, as long as it opens up for us, it's probably our best hope," she said, hoping fiercely that the door would show. She had never liked Pansy Parkinson, not so much because of the different House affiliation, but the young Slytherin witch was arrogant and downright nasty to anyone who was not a pureblood. Hermione had been at the receiving end of her nastiness more often than she could count. However, the Gryffindor was compassionate by nature and simply hated seeing anyone in pain or in a hopeless situation. And she was willing to help putting a situation right, even more so as she owed her life to Pansy's former Head of House.

Madame Pomfrey briefly left the room to find a stretcher. It would have been pointless to try levitating the unconscious witch across the castle, and her serious injuries did not warrant carrying her. The mediwitch was rightly worried about the Slytherin's broken ribs, which were digging dangerously closer and closer toward her lungs.

Madame Pomfrey returned with a stretcher and, with Seamus' help, transferred Pansy onto it. Led by Hermione, the strange looking quartet carefully moved from the hospital wing to the wall behind which the Room of Requirement was hidden.

Hermione walked up and down the floor along the wall, wholly focusing on the need for the room. She had almost lost heart when, finally, the door appeared in the wall. All three let out a sigh of relief and entered. The mediwitch ignored the surroundings and dug the vial out of her pocket. While Hermione carefully held Pansy's head up, Madame Pomfrey administered the potion to the unconscious witch and gently massaged her throat to encourage swallowing.

"I just hope there is enough magic in here for it to work," Seamus said, looking around. Then he continued, "I would have thought the Room of Requirement might resemble a hospital now, or at least something different to this... long, deserted, library kind of room."

Hermione agreed, hoping ferociously that the look of the room was deceiving. It looked exactly as Harry had described it after he had hidden Snape's old Potions textbook in here. She decided to look for the old book. At least time would pass quicker that way, rather than simply sitting there waiting with bated breath for the potion to take or not take effect.

Seamus rolled his eyes, and even Madam Pomfrey grinned, when Hermione returned, happily holding the old sixth year Potions textbook in her hand.

"Only you would find an old textbook useful, Hermione," snickered Seamus. "It won't have any value at all if the magic disappears, you know."

The two witches looked at Seamus, shocked that he had so blatantly expressed their fears.

"What?" he asked defensively, "It's true, isn't it?" His words were met with silence.

Then Madame Pomfrey whispered, "Oh, Merlin. What are we going to do if the magic disappears entirely?"

"Then... We will have to get together with all the witches and wizards that are still around and find a way to bring the magic back," Hermione replied slowly. She paused, thinking of possible scenarios of the magic disappearing entirely or returning soon before voicing her favoured thought. "Maybe we'll wake up tomorrow and be able to use our wands again. The showers will work, the potions will be effective, and the disappearance of the magic will merely be a temporary side effect of Voldemort's fall."

"Yes, wouldn't that be nice," Madame Pomfrey said, the note of bitterness in her voice clearly showing a lack of hope for Hermione's vision.

They all turned their attention to Pansy who was stirring now. "Miss Parkinson, can you hear me?" Madame Pomfrey asked gently, hiding her desperation to help the young Slytherin witch be whole again.

Pansy opened her eyes slowly. "... Hurts..." she whimpered. "Need water."

Hermione took her wand out without thinking and cast _Aguamenti_ as she picked up a goblet from a nearby shelf. The goblet filled with clear water, and she handed it to the mediwitch.

"So the magic is still working here!" Seamus exclaimed.

"So it is," Madame Pomfrey agreed. "Let's hope it'll stay this way."

It was early afternoon when the witches and Seamus returned to the Hospital Wing. Pansy's health was by no means fully restored yet, but with the risk of her ribs puncturing her lungs gone, she had a fair chance of recovering swiftly and fully now, even without the use of magic.

Hermione and Seamus left the Hospital Wing to search for more pockets of magic within the castle. But even with the help of Colin, Luna and Remus Lupin, it proved to be a fruitless effort. None of the classrooms yielded any magic. All the showers, bathtubs and sinks only produced murky, dirty and cold water. The few surviving house-elves were panicking; cooking without magic was unheard of amongst house-elves--they had only ever served pureblood wizard families who frowned on anything Muggle.

And they were faced with even more challenges. When the small group of wizards and witches tried to enter the kitchen, the painting did not reveal the entrance, no matter how much the pear was being tickled.

"Oh, no!" Seamus groaned. "Don't tell me we can't even get into the kitchen now!"

"Got any idea how?" Remus asked. "Magic doesn't open it..."

Thankfully, their voices alerted some house-elves to their presence, and the portrait was opened from inside. The small group entered the kitchen one after the other and looked around, expecting to see the elves.

"Where are they?" Hermione wondered aloud.

Suddenly, Dobby appeared on top of the table in front of her. "Miss Hermione Granger! Harry Potter's best friend! You are alive!" He shouted, his speech interrupted by sobs. "You can't see the elves anymore; the magic is disappearing! It is only with combined effort between us that you can see and hear me, and I do not know how long it will last!"

"What do you mean, Dobby?" Colin asked in disbelief.

"I is speaking to Harry Potter's best friend," Dobby admonished him and turned back to face Hermione again.

"Miss Hermione, you must find the Potions master, the man who killed Headmaster Dumbledore, the man who saved your life! You must help make the magic potion that will restore the magic! He cannot do it alone," he told her urgently, and then gradually he faded out of sight, as if merging with the air in the room.

"What do you mean, the man who saved your life?" Colin asked her curiously. The others stared at her, too, wanting to know why Dobby had claimed that Snape had saved her life.

Hermione told them what had happened and closed with the words, "and the next morning he had disappeared, and Mr Moody accused me of unbinding him."

"And?" Remus asked. "Did you?"

"As I told Mr Moody, I couldn't have done it if I'd wanted to! I left with him and Tonks and didn't return to the castle until late in the evening," Hermione replied in her best goody-two-shoes manner. She was glad that Remus appeared to swallow her words as fact and without comment. She genuinely liked and trusted Remus, but she was not yet willing to divulge her secret of freeing Snape to anyone. Not that she had ever liked the Potions professor--she had had absolutely no reason to during the years he taught Potions--but he had saved her life and with that act unknowingly gained her absolute and unconditional loyalty.

In the evening, the few uninjured survivors met again in the entrance hall. Maybe it was a subconscious hope in each one to be the first to greet any unexpected survivor coming through the doors of Hogwarts; or maybe there was some unseen force directing each able witch and wizard to the front-most room of the castle.

Hermione shot a longing glance at Tonks who was thoroughly kissing Remus as if nothing else in the world mattered. _Why do they have to make such a display of snogging,_ she thought nastily and was immediately shocked by the bout of envy she felt. Her Ron was Vanished to Merlin knew where--whether he was alive or not, whether she would ever see him again, she had no idea. But her own sad loss surely did not warrant everyone else to stop living...

Her reverie was interrupted by Remus, who sat down next to her and said quietly, "Hermione, are you considering what Dobby told you? Because if you are, it might be wise to go to the Room of Requirement now and try casting a tracking spell on Snape… before the magic disappears." He sighed heavily and then continued, "Although, to be honest, I could completely understand if you choose to ignore Dobby's advice. I know Snape's never had a friendly word for you, and if anyone ever found out you work with him, and voluntarily at that, they'll consider you a traitor most likely."

Hermione carefully weighed his words and then looked at him and smiled, her mind made up and morbid thoughts decisively pushed away. "You know... You're right! I don't have to find him, but if I decide to follow Dobby's advice, then at least I have a better chance with a tracking spell on him."

The two set off for the Room of Requirement, and Hermione declared the day a lucky one when the door obligingly appeared. Their combined efforts quickly found the location of the former Potions professor, which Hermione noted down in detail.

When Hermione tried to enter the Room of Requirement the next day in order to conjure some desperately needed clean water, the door did not show. The wall remained solid.

Remus and Tonks returned from Hogsmeade, looking despondent, and Tonks was uncharacteristically quiet.

"What's the matter with you two?" asked Seamus as the couple entered the castle.

"There... There's no one left in Hogsmeade," Tonks replied and burst into tears. Remus pulled her gently into his arms to comfort her and said over her head, "It looks like everyone who survived the battle has left. And a lot of the buildings have started to fall apart. There is no magic left."

Hermione nodded sadly. "The door to the Room of Requirement doesn't show anymore, either."

"Muggle world, here we come," sighed Luna. "I tried Apparating, and nothing happened. And Madame Pomfrey has been trying for days to Floo St Mungo's with no success."

Two days later, a sad and gruff looking group of witches and wizards, some moving with difficulty because of recent injuries and all in need of clean water for both cleaning and drinking, left Hogwarts Castle reluctantly, none of them ready to face the challenges of living in a world without magic.

A/N: I thank NotSoSaintly for beta-reading this story. Your encouragement means the world to me. :-)

As always, reviews feed my muse, so please let me know what you think of the story.


	2. Summertime But The Living Ain't Easy

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, the characters were not mine. I only take them out to play and make them do things that JKR doesn't. Like Disappearing the magic. Or making Hermione fall in love with the greasy git of the dungeons. I solemnly swear to return the characters once I am done being up to no good.

Without Magic - Chapter II

Summertime — But The Living Ain't Easy

None of the last of Hogwarts' residents were quite certain where to go, let alone what to do about surviving in a world without magic. Whilst Remus and Tonks were keen to return to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, they were also reluctant for fear that the former home of the Blacks and headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix had fallen apart, now that the magic had gone.

Pansy downright refused to even consider returning to her parents. She had received her injuries from Death Eaters and had no doubt it was because she had refused to take the Dark Mark. Her family, staunch followers of the Dark Lord, had been more than a little disgruntled with their daughter's disobedience.

Over the last few days, Seamus had developed a genuine liking for Pansy. The two had been spending much time talking while Pansy was recovering in the hospital wing. Both had been surprised to enjoy the other's company and were becoming inseparable.

Once the small group of witches and wizards had left Hogsmeade behind and found themselves in the Scottish countryside, one after the other slowed down, until, eventually, everyone came to a halt.

"Dang!" Seamus exclaimed. "We don't have any Muggle money! How are we going to get anywhere?" He looked at a complete loss. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. None of the others had thought of the need for Muggle money. Without magic, Apparating, Floo, even brooms were unavailable for transport, and Muggle transport was unavailable without money.

Tonks said, "Great. Not that I'm sure where to go in the first place, but I have no way of getting there." She sighed deeply.

Hermione's face suddenly brightened. "I know what we can do! We'll walk to the next village, and I'll phone my parents. They'll help us out with money."

Everyone looked relieved, now that the money problem was to be solved. The next problem was to decide where to go.

Seamus had invited Pansy to go with him to stay with his parents until they found a solution to bring the magic back, or until they had to integrate in the Muggle world if the magic stayed away. It was a thought neither was willing to entertain.

Remus and Tonks decided to return to London. Even if number twelve, Grimmauld Place, proved to be inaccessible, they were more likely to find other Order members there and hoped that among the brighter minds, they might find a way to bring the magic back into the wizarding world.

Hermione had decided to return home to her parents for a few days, hoping to recover from the trauma that was the Final Battle. She was feeling tired and drained and in dire need of some peace and pampering. She hoped her parents could provide both. Then, she planned to go and find Snape. Maybe Dobby had spoken the truth... But even if he had not, Hermione figured she would never know unless she actually went to track down Snape.

The young witch was almost certain that a lot of wizards and witches would go mental, succumb to illness, or even commit suicide if the magic stayed away. She, a Muggle-born witch, missed the magic dearly and could not even begin to imagine what great a loss it would be for someone who had been born into a wizarding family without ever having had much contact with Muggles. Soon, an entire world would be lost, unless its survivors started to work on finding a way to return the magic. Her mind made up, she started to speak.

"Right, people. It's going to be a couple of hours before my dad's money arrives. I think we should spend them constructively and formulate a strategy to get the magic back."

"Good idea," agreed Tonks. "First of all, we should exchange Muggle-style contact details, so we can communicate with each other. Somehow, I doubt that we'll find owls who deliver mail..."

"I will see if my dad continues publishing i The Quibbler /i . He can run a classified section for people looking for someone from our world. Colin's mum has some contacts in Muggle publishing — maybe she'll help us. Then we might get an idea of the number of survivors." Luna sounded her usual serene self, as if the loss of magic was merely an inconvenience.

Pansy stated quietly, "I need to heal first before I can be of any use, but I'll gladly help if anyone knows how."

"You will heal soon," Seamus assured her, his voice filled with affection. He added, "Don't you worry, Pansy. Your family can't find you without magic, and with that threat gone, and a bit of loving care, you'll be well again in no time."

Pansy offered him a hesitant smile, which led Hermione to wonder just how much abuse the young witch had experienced by the hands of her pureblood family. She could not help but to feel admiration for the Slytherin witch for putting her conscience before the safety of her life.

"Any ideas how we can get the magic back?" Remus asked glumly. Everyone looked away, not knowing any answer but a brutal "No" and not willing to say it.

"I think," Hermione started slowly, "to get an idea of how to bring the magic back, we first of all have to look into how the magic disappeared. I find a problem is always easier to solve if the cause of it is known. If we can figure out what caused the magic to leave, we might even be able to reverse the process."

Professor Sprout nodded. "You have a point... I wonder if the forms of magic that Muggles use have disappeared, too. Is there a way we can find out?" She looked into the round questioningly.

Tonks' tone was unbelieving. "What do you mean, Muggles use magic? It's all illusion stuff they do!"

Hermione shook her head. "No. There is a difference between a i magician /i who i creates /i illusions and a Muggle who practises magic," she explained.

"And exactly i what /i kind of magic is it that Muggles practise?" Tonks sounded as mocking as Snape now, but her face carried an expectant look nevertheless.

"Some Muggles are adept in the healing arts, such as Reiki. Some, especially those who follow the Pagan ways of life, are capable of manipulating events, like say, bringing love to their lives or being offered a better job. They do this by way of rituals, and many of them have better knowledge of lunar influence on earth than witches or wizards do. Then, I know of Muggles who are capable of divination so correct it would make Trelawney turn green with envy. And then, there are those who communicate with the dead or with beings from higher dimensions," Hermione lectured.

Seamus nodded. "Yes, my dad used to visit a medium who channeled some high dimensional beings. It was fascinating stuff!"

"Really?" Pansy was astounded. "I'd love to meet someone who communicates with beings from a different dimension," she added, and her face took on a dreamy expression. "Just imagine... A being from a higher dimension might even know how we can get the magic back."

Hermione drew in her breath sharply. Who would have thought that Pansy Parkinson of all people might come up with a possible solution to their dilemma? "What a brilliant idea, Pansy," she praised the Slytherin. "You and Seamus could find that medium and see if he or she can help us!"

"Yeah, if that lady is still around, then I'm sure my dad will know about it. I'll let you know," Seamus agreed, putting his arm around Pansy's shoulder and giving her a look full of admiration.

"You do that," Remus agreed and, holding Tonks close to him, added, "Tonks and I will look for our kind in London and see what we can achieve there." He turned to face Hermione. "And what are you going to do?" he asked her.

She took a deep breath and answered, "I think the only idea I can come up with is to investigate Dobby's statement. I'm not sure if I want to see Snape again, but I will do anything to get the magic back. And if that means working with him..." She shrugged, sighed, and then shuddered at the mere thought of having to face Hogwarts' most hated former professor, a killer—and her life saviour.

"It sounds worse than it's likely to be, Hermione," Pansy tried to comfort her. "I know everyone outside Slytherin hates him, but he really isn't bad at all. A lot of his persona was put on because he knew better than to assume the Dark Lord would not have others spy on him."

Tonks snorted. "Well, I'm glad you're not saying he's nice at least, Parkinson. The man killed Dumbledore!" Tonks made no secret of her dislike of the Slytherin witch or, in fact, of anyone Slytherin. Turning to Hermione, she remarked, "I don't know if it's a good idea to find him, Hermione. I wouldn't be comfortable around a killer."

Hermione rolled her eyes. i Someone remind me why I used to like her, /i she thought.

"All we know for certain is that he killed Dumbledore. As to the why, we can only speculate until Snape tells his version. I thought him a murderer, too, until he saved my life by killing several Death Eaters. That, to me, means there has to be more to it than Harry knew. Snape had no reason to save me, and if he i truly /i was on Voldemort's side, he wouldn't have done it," Hermione stated defensively.

Tonks' condemnation of Snape was getting on her nerves. i She has no idea what it's like to have someone save your life by killing others, /i she thought bitterly. The knowledge of owing a life debt to someone she had disliked for years, to someone she had perceived as a murderer for the past year, weighed heavily on her.

Remus made an effort to calm the situation. "Come on, girls. We'll each do what each thinks is best. Our first and foremost goal is to find our magic again. Once we've achieved that, we can worry about Snape's motives." He cupped his lover's face in his hands. "I know how you feel about Severus. If it hadn't been for his constant mocking, Sirius would never have run to the Ministry of Magic that night. He might be still alive. That's what you think, isn't it?"

Tonks nodded sadly, the memory of losing one of her best friends welling up inside of her. "Yes, Remus. That's what I think."

Hermione voiced a new worry. "Please, people, let's put any differences we have aside for now. If we can show a united front to find the magic again, it'll be easier on everyone. We're more likely to be successful, rather than wasting our energies with arguing pointlessly," she pleaded.

"True," Remus agreed and added wistfully, "I'm sure if our world had been more united against Voldemort, we would have lost far fewer lives."

His daring statement hung uncomfortably in the air, and it was a while before anyone spoke again.

Pansy finally broke the silence. "The Dark Lord apparently used to get a kick out of the way the wizarding world was split over him. My parents used to snigger about the Ministry of Magic being so busy policing everyone that they had no time to concentrate on his defeat."

"I can imagine," Seamus commented dryly. "My dad always said that the Ministry of Magic was no different than the Muggle government, always busy finding new ways to curb people's freedom under the guise of crime and all that."

Hermione smirked. "Funny that! My parents shared that opinion when I told them about the toad and all the ridiculous decrees she imposed on us with the help of Fudge."

The group did manage to part on friendly terms. Even Tonks, although she had required a dose of calming and quietly stated reasoning from Remus, finally agreed to put all differences behind for now.

Neville remarked, "Hey, at least if we wait until we get the magic back, we can argue in style, with hexes and spells!" His comment left everyone amused.

After Hermione made another reverse charge call to her parents and visited a bank to get Muggle money, it was finally time to part company and face a world devoid of magic. The good-byes were emotional, and the promises to communicate via Muggle means fervently spoken.

It had been one week since Hermione had arrived at her parents' home, and she felt increasingly restless. In the first couple of days, her parents had tried hard to make her as comfortable as possible, more so with little gestures and a decided lack of words beyond the mundane. But on the third day, the questions began, instigated by a concerned Mrs Granger whose medically-trained mind feared for her daughter's mental well-being if the trauma was not talked about.

All Mrs Granger knew was what had transpired in the first phone call from some small Highland village. i "Voldemort is gone, but so is the magic, and the few of us who have survived can't get anywhere..." /i And even that came secondhand from her husband who had taken the call.

No matter how hard Hermione's mother tried, no matter how cunningly she phrased her questions, the young witch refused to humour her mother. She was not ready to discuss the events with any Muggle. "Yes, Mum, Voldemort is gone. I don't know who did the act. A lot of witches and wizards died in the battle, and it finally ended when Snape killed a group of Death Eaters," she replied impatiently to her mother's careful prodding. "Look, Mum, I know you think it's important to talk about the whole mess. No disrespect, but you can't possibly have any idea how I feel. I mean, you've never known magic, so you don't know what it's like to suddenly be without it." She left the kitchen and a speechless Mrs Granger behind, retreating to her own room.

After more days of Grangeresque prodding, suggestions to take a job, and even the promise to finance her through university, Hermione knew she had to leave, or else her goal of finding a way to bring the magic back would fade out of existence. i I cannot let the people down who introduced me to the wizarding world and nourished my magic. If I stay here any longer, I'll be half-comfortable amongst Muggles because that's how my own world was until I learned of Hogwarts, and it won't take long to get used to it. One day, I'll regret not looking for the magic, and then it'll be too late, /i she thought dejectedly.

Having decided that her best plan of action was still to go and find Snape, her next step would be to figure out what to do if she could not find him. Hermione could not be certain that he was still at Spinner's End, the location that the tracking charm had revealed when the Room of Requirement was still functional. It had been an entire week, and she had no idea how he was faring without magic. For all she knew, he might have been forced to take on any Muggle job in order to maintain himself. Or maybe his half-Muggle heritage had ensured that he kept some ties to the Muggle world, although she doubted it, given his obscure allegiance to Voldemort who had despised anything Muggle.

Her thoughts about Snape made her feel uncomfortable. He had, after all, killed Dumbledore; there was no doubt about that. Tonks' words about not wanting to be around a killer rang in her mind, but Hermione gave herself a mental kick. i Get real, Granger. It was a war. Any soldier will kill in a war, so quit freaking about meeting the greasy git. He /i did i save your life! /i 

She then concentrated at the task at hand — work out the best plan of action if she could not locate Snape. i I don't want to come back here. Mum and dad mean well, but I know they'll push me to get fully integrated in the Muggle world, as if the magic has gone for good. /i The thought made her shudder. She knew i she /i could easily live like a Muggle, but had no real desire to do so as long as there was hope to find the magic again. What about all the witches and wizards who likely were facing tremendous difficulties by not having magic?

i It's probably best if I meet up with Remus and Tonks first. If number twelve, Grimmauld Place, is still there, I could probably use that as a base and stay there until... until whatever, /i her thought finished abruptly.

As uncomfortable as she felt about facing her former Potions professor, she absolutely did not want to think about the possibility of not being able to find him or what she would do if he was not at Spinner's End.

When Hermione heard the front door close and the voice of her father, she left the sanctuary of her room to talk to her parents. She hoped it would be a little easier if her father was present. He often saw reason in her actions where her mother did not.

And it i was /i easier. "Honey, you do what you have to do. As much as I love having you here, I'm happier knowing i you /i are happy. And if that means being somewhere else, then so be it. Your happiness is more important than us being selfish by wanting you home."

Hermione hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Dad," she choked, desperately trying to keep away the tears that were welling up inside of her.

Her mother sighed, "If that's what you want to do... I'll miss you, love." She was not happy about her daughter leaving so soon.

"I'll miss the two of you, too. And Mum, it's not really that I i want /i to go and find Snape, but if it means finding the magic again, then it'll be worth it."

"We understand, honey," her father assured her.

When Hermione returned to her room, she let out a sigh of relief. The talk with her parents had gone far better than she had anticipated, and she was glad to be able to leave on friendly terms with the full support of her parents.

The next morning, the young witch headed for London and spent the entire train journey wondering whether number twelve, Grimmauld Place, was still standing, and if not, she hoped at least the Leaky Cauldron would still be there. _I'll bet number twelve is still functional. Otherwise Remus would have phoned or written to let me know his new location,_ she thought, trying not to think of any what ifs.

When Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place, she felt her spirits lift considerably. Not only was the house there—the Fidelius Charm must have disappeared with the magic—she also spotted Tonks opening a window on the first floor.

"Tonks!" Hermione called, waving at the witch.

Tonks waved back and yelled, "Come over. I'll open the door for you!" She disappeared from the window, and by the time Hermione had crossed the road, Tonks stood at the open front door, beaming.

"Isn't it great?" Tonks asked. "It's still standing, even without the magic! And it's still hell to keep clean," she added, laughing. "But at least all the magical pesty creatures are gone." She motioned for Hermione to go inside and closed the door. "Go through to the kitchen. It's still the cosiest place."

Hermione noticed that Tonks seemed to have lost all her clumsiness. Making and serving coffee was accomplished without any incidents.

"Remus should be back in a couple of hours," Tonks said and then offered more of an explanation. "We've been taking turns searching for magical folk, in case any Order members show up here."

"And?" Hermione asked expectantly. "Have you found anyone yet?"

Tonks let out a long sigh. "No... Yes. Remus found Mundungus Fletcher. Only... Dung didn't recognise him. He seems to have turned into a tramp, without any idea as to his identity or past." She looked down and studied the mug of coffee on the table, unhappy to report such a lack of progress. Then she went on, "And Kingsley came by very briefly. He's still working at the Muggle government place, and he said he wanted to talk to us. But he couldn't stay and promised to pop in again. He sounded... strange."

"What do you mean, strange?" Hermione enquired. Tonks' report did not seem encouraging.

"I'm not sure how to describe it," Tonks sounded hesitant. "He looked kind of haunted, as if he was paranoid that someone was following him or checking on him. And he... he sounded so... dejected; desperate to talk to us on one hand, and afraid on the other. It was as if he was not himself," she finished.

Hermione remained silent for a while. There was nothing she could think of saying about such little and disheartening information.

Tonks remarked, as if trying to comfort herself as much as Hermione, "Of course, it's only been just over a week. We can't really expect to find everything to be all chipper so soon after the Final Battle, even though the reptilian bastard finally _did_ snuff it."

Hermione could not help grinning at Tonks' choice of words to describe Voldemort. "No, that's true. It's only been a week," she agreed and then continued, "I'm just so glad _this_ house is still here. Surely any surviving Order members will pop in as soon as they can."

"Oh, absolutely," Tonks replied, filling their mugs with more coffee. "Moody shows up every other day to exchange any information we might have of others. He hasn't had any luck so far, either. I have a suspicion, though, that he might try and corner Kingsley. You know how paranoid Moody is — he reckons in all seriousness that the Muggle government has made the magic disappear with their ultra-advanced technology..." She sighed as memories of various scenes starring Moody's paranoia entered her mind unbidden.

"So, the loss of magic hasn't changed _that_ trait of his?" Hermione enquired, grinning.

"Nah. He's too old to change, I think," Tonks replied matter-of-factly.

"Who is too old?" Remus' voice startled the two young women. Neither of them had heard him enter.

"You're back early," Tonks commented as she stood up to kiss him in greeting. "Is that a good or a bad sign?" She looked at him expectantly.

Remus teased her by pretending to ignore his lover and, instead, greeted Hermione.

"I didn't think of telephoning you to let you know that we're staying here! I'm having a bit of trouble with this concept of using a telephone instead of an owl," he admitted, a little embarrassed.

"I know what you mean, Remus," Hermione offered. "I keep catching myself using my wand and only remember when nothing happens. And I spent my first eleven years as a Muggle," she added.

"Oh! But... You know, we should make an effort and continue using wands! Even if only for a few minutes every day. But that way we'll keep in practice and know exactly _when_ the magic comes back," Remus commented. Then, he corrected himself hesitantly, "_If_ the magic comes back."

Tonks evidently had enough of her lover ignoring her. "Oi!" she exclaimed. "You do have some news; it's written on your forehead! And it better be good news, or else I'll punish you for averting my question," she threatened.

Remus grinned and took her into a fierce hug. "You know me too well, woman," he stated, still grinning.

Then his face took on a somber expression. "Let's say, if every day from now on will be as rewarding as today, I'll gladly live for another hundred years." He smirked. "I... Merlin, it's been an amazing morning." He took a sideways glance at Tonks and took a deep breath. "Love, let me quickly reiterate, so Hermione knows what's been happening here. I trust you already told her about Dung and Kingsley?"

"Yes, Remus! And Moody. That's how far I got. Now, get on with it," Tonks demanded.

Remus turned to face Hermione. "You see, up until yesterday, the Leaky Cauldron was closed. The building's there, but it's been locked up. A few wizards and witches turned up whenever I was hanging around there, but nobody I knew. Well, when I got there this morning, it was open and Tom was inside. He had some news and the evidence to prove it."

The two witches looked at him expectantly. "Right now, the body of Fenrir Greyback is residing in one of the spare rooms of the Leaky Cauldron until the weekend. Tom said that if it doesn't get picked up by then, he'll have the Muggle authorities dispose of it."

His voice had turned forceful as he reported the events, but when he continued, it had a wistful quality to it. "Just imagine. Kids will be safe again... None of the young ones will have to suffer _that_ particular fate..." He shuddered, and Tonks wrapped her arms around him, offering comfort.

"Oh, Merlin. Remus, that is the best news I could hope for! Greyback dead! Did Tom know anything about how he died?" asked his lover.

"Yes..." Remus was fidgeting. "I... spoke to the one who killed him." He allowed a sigh to escape but continued talking, "Hagrid. He gave me a detailed account of it, but quite frankly, I have no interest in recalling it. Let's just say I feel I owe him something equivalent to a life debt..."

Both witches gasped. Hermione was the first to find words. "Remus! Hagrid loved all of you Marauders! He surely did that one act to avenge the Marauders, not just you as an individual. It was his way of avenging you, James and Sirius."

"You're probably right," Remus admitted. "He was mumbling something about Harry having done the deed with Wormtail, but he did not go into any details." He glanced at Hermione, looking hopeful.

"Wormtail struck down McGonagall, and Harry went after him and knocked him down with the Killing Curse," Hermione recalled softly. "Just before Lucius got him..." She felt her eyes well up.

Both Tonks and Remus jumped up instantly to comfort her. "Oh, goddess, Hermione, why didn't you tell anyone?" Tonks asked, hugging her tightly.

Hermione had no answer. All she could do was sob, crying her heart out. She thought for a moment how she had been unable to collapse like that in the safety of her parents' home, the place she'd known as home since birth. Why did she break down like that now in this still uncomfortable place, still not clean, still not cosy, except maybe for that long kitchen table and the crackling fire nearby?

"I don't know," Hermione choked. "I didn't feel comfortable talking to my parents about all that happened. I didn't think they'd understand... They wouldn't have understood..."

She continued crying. Now that the tears were flowing, they seemed unstoppable. She cried for Harry, whose life had never been easy and then cut short so cruelly. For McGonagall, who had spent decades looking after her Gryffindors only to die trying to protect her charges. For Pansy Parkinson, who had survived, but the scars, both physical and emotional, would remain with her for the rest of her life. For Ron and his family, who had been Vanished to Merlin knew where.

And finally, she cried for herself. For losing the first love of her life with whom she had planned a future together. For being forced to rethink her entire future when she should be having the time of her life, enjoying this short span of time during which she wasn't a child anymore but not yet seriously considered an adult, enjoying not having school to worry about, enjoying the occasional anticipation of starting her future as an adult and an apprenticeship in Transfiguration with McGonagall. And for having to face Snape again.

Eventually, Hermione was all cried out. Tonks got up slowly, and Hermione realised at that moment that she had been holding onto _her_ and sobbing into i her /i shoulder. "Sorry, Tonks," she murmured, uncomfortably aware that, for once, she had been the one in need of comfort rather than being on the giving end. She was also startled by the fact that she did not care who it was that was comforting her.

"Don't be daft!" Tonks replied while busying herself making fresh coffee.

"Tonks is right, Hermione," Remus commented, before Hermione had a chance to say anything. He continued, "We spent our first few days here just arguing and crying because of all that happened and the uncertainty of a magical future. I dare say, it's a normal reaction."

Hermione considered his words and nodded hesitantly. "I guess..." she allowed lamely, not quite able to label her outburst as yet into any particular emotional drawer.

Remus wasted no time diverting her thoughts away from her misery. He said briskly, "Anyway, I have more news. I spoke to Mr Lovegood today. There is a phone booth on the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron from which one can make calls for free at present. I don't know if it's bewitched with lingering magic or simply in need of repair, but honestly, I don't care." He grinned wryly before continuing. "The more I'm confronted with Muggle things, the more I want the magic back. To me, it's just plain wrong to have to pay lots in order to communicate with someone. A token payment, like we do—_did_—at any owlery, I don't have a problem with, but it can't be that costly to maintain phone booths to justify charging the earth," he finished.

Hermione nodded in sympathy, and Tonks gave him an adoring look

"Anyway," Remus continued, "I'm making use of it for as long as it's there... Mr Lovegood told me he had been given a donation with the request to publish _The Quibbler_ in the Muggle world. He said he had planned on doing so in any case, especially after Luna and Colin had talked to him, but it would have taken him a while, given how much money one needs to publish a magazine in the Muggle world. Now, with the donation, he can do so right away, and he reckons that the first issue will be in print and in the shops within two months."

"Who donated that much money to him?" Hermione asked suspiciously. She did not know much about publishing, but had enough experience living in the Muggle world to take an educated guess about the cost of getting a brand new magazine published. As far as the Muggle world was concerned, _The Quibbler_ was brand new. It would take tens of thousands of pounds if not more.

"Funny you should ask," Remus smirked. "The donor remained anonymous!"

Both Hermione and Tonks gasped. It had to be a wizard; there was no doubt about that. The vast majority of Muggles was not even aware that there was a magical world. But most well-to-do wizarding families were, if not openly on Voldemort's side, at least insistent that anything Muggle was looked upon disdainfully. Who would have donated such a huge amount of money?

Remus had not quite finished his day's news. "I also received a letter from Seamus Finnegan. He evidently thought sending Muggle mail to me via the Leaky Cauldron was safer than sending it here." He sounded amused.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, surprised at both Seamus' choice of address and the fact that after an entire week of barely anything worthy of reporting, a mere morning produced more results of news than the previous eight days. "Of course! It makes sense! If this place had been inaccessible, his letter wouldn't have gotten to you. He figured you were more likely to visit the Leaky Cauldron frequently, what with looking for survivors," she added. "So, what did Seamus have to say?"

Remus fished the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her. She moved over to sit next to Tonks, so both could read it at the same time.

_'Hi Remus, hi Tonks,_

_My dad arranged for Pansy and me to meet with Valanga, the medium I mentioned he used to visit. We went to see her yesterday, and Pansy is there again right now. It was wicked!!!_

_Valanga channels a being from some higher dimension by the name of Red Cloud. When she channels him, her voice becomes much deeper, and the room feels warmer, kind of more cosy even. Red Cloud seems to be very wise, and he knows a lot. Valanga had the brilliant idea to tape the entire session, so we have a record of everything that was said. I'm listening to the tape now and write, below, all the quotes that might be relevant to our task to get the magic back._

_Red Cloud seems to know about the Muggle world as well as ours. He instructed Valanga not to charge us because "there are things more important at stake than money — an entire world is in danger of being lost." I'm grateful that Valanga was happy to go along with it. She even invited Pansy to come back today!_

_Anyways, here are the bits Red Cloud said. Some of them sounded more like riddles to me, but maybe they make more sense to you._

_- "The safe place where the couple is staying remains safe. We will ensure that."_

_- "The dark-skinned one who works as a civil servant is in danger. He must go to the safe place and stay there for a while until the magic returns, which is a task all of you have to pursue."_

_- "You need to help making the healing sanctuary safe — it is endangered at present, but so is most of the Earth"._

_Red Cloud said much more, but a lot was said to Pansy directly. If you have a tape player, let me know, and I'll send you a copy of the tape._

_So, now you have our news, and if more comes out in Pansy's session today, I'll write again tomorrow. How are you and Tonks doing? And have you heard from Hermione? Let me know how things are. _

_Speak to you soon,_

_Seamus'_

The two witches looked at each other and then at Remus. "Any idea what this Red Cloud is on about, Love?" Tonks asked him.

"Oh, it sort of makes sense to me," Remus replied. "I presume he means you and me when he says _couple_, and the _safe place_ is presumably here, number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

"I don't have a clue what _civil servant_ means, but the only dark-skinned wizard I know is Kingsley."

"He would be considered a civil servant, working for the government," Hermione chimed in. "And from what Tonks was saying earlier, it sounds like _he_ thinks he's in danger, too. Whatever the reason is..."

"Ah. Let's hope, then, that Moody succeeds in what we suspect he's trying to do." Remus grinned wryly and added, "Maybe that paranoia of his will finally come in handy!"

Both witches giggled, recalling their earlier conversation about Mad-Eye Moody and his notorious paranoia.

Remus interrupted them. "As to the last quote, I can only assume that the healing sanctuary Red Cloud refers to is the one that Pomona Sprout's sister runs. There is no other one I know of."

"I don't know of any others, either," Tonks replied.

Hermione merely shook her head. "I guess we'll have to wait for Seamus' tape to arrive, or maybe Pansy will have more information from her session. I have a small tape player in my luggage," she added, seeing two pairs of confused eyes staring at her. "Although, I have no idea how we can make the sanctuary safe..."

The ring of the bell suddenly interrupted the short silence that followed her words.

"It's probably Moody," Tonks sighed.

Hermione swiftly passed through the corridor and opened the door. Her mouth opened, and her eyes widened as she recognised the two ragged and worn-out looking youngest members of the Weasley family.

A/N

Big thanks to NSS who agreed to beta-read this story for me. And if there are any mistakes left in the story, they are mine and mine only — I take full responsibility for them.

Reviews greatly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters are still not mine deep sigh, no matter how much I'm willing them to be mine.

Without Magic - Chapter III

Follow Your Heart

It was late afternoon, even without the news the day had brought, by the time Remus, Tonks, and Hermione had reiterated the events since the Weasleys' Vanishing for Ron's and Ginny's benefit. Tears spilled again over Harry's demise and the many other lives lost in the Final Battle.

Ginny put on a brave face. There would be time for mourning Harry, but now was not it. "So... what can we do to help get the magic back?" she asked. Then she added, "Blimey, we thought the Vanishing had turned us into Squibs. In a way, I'm glad that's not the case, no matter how sad it is to think of the magic gone."

Tonks nodded empathetically. "Can't blame you," she said. "We probably would have thought the same if we hadn't witnessed the magic fading gradually over a couple of days."

Hermione admitted, "I thought it was simple exhaustion when I couldn't cast the spell to call for help. And then, Professor Sprout and Neville tried and put it down to exhaustion and their injuries. It was only when the Gryffindor showers produced cold and murky water that I realised there was a problem with the magic itself."

Ron put his arm around her, and she leaned into him. "That must have been awful... to watch the magic seep away," he said quietly.

"It wasn't pleasant," Remus admitted. "But what about you two? Where have you been, and how did you find your way back?" he asked.

"Yes, do tell!" Hermione urged her boyfriend. "I thought I had lost you for Merlin knows how long, you know." She snuggled up closer to him, treasuring the glimpse of happiness she felt by being close to him again, an intimate gesture so familiar, and for the first time since the Final Battle, she genuinely hoped that everything would eventually turn out alright. Those who had lost their lives would always be remembered, but at least with Ron at her side, time would heal wounds, and she could hope to be happy.

Ginny and Ron grinned wryly at each other, and Ron said encouragingly, "Go on, young Ginny, _you_ tell!"

Ginny snorted at him and moved her eyes from Tonks to Hermione to Remus. Then, she let out a deep breath. "Okay... Where to start? The last thing I remember of Hogwarts is all of us in the Great Hall at lunch, and suddenly, those Death Eaters appeared. Before I could draw my wand, I felt myself floating... and I... I thought I had died, but I felt kind of alive. I could see that my body was still there, so I figured I hadn't died. Then, I saw Mum and Dad nearby, and we kind of floated towards each other. We couldn't talk, or rather, there was absolute silence, no sound at all. We could mouth words but couldn't hear them. And then..."

A small groan escaped Ginny as she recalled the memory, but she continued immediately, "Then, I don't know how to describe this. I _felt_ Mum's words. And I knew she felt mine, too, because when I _thought_ my answer, she immediately looked relieved. She'd asked if I was okay, and I said I think so," she added in explanation.

Hermione had the impression the recent experience was overwhelming her friend and was only beginning to sink in fully now.

Ron commented, "And if you think what you've heard so far sounds weird, just wait."

"You look as if you're in a different world," Hermione commented softly, as she observed Ron's far-away expression.

Ginny snorted. "Funny, your choice of wording, Hermione... I'm quite convinced that we _were_ in a different world... I cannot think of any other explanation."

Ron nodded wistfully. "You're right, Gin," he admitted. "I can't think of any other, either."

"Go on. What happened then?" Tonks asked. "It sounds a great deal more interesting than witnessing the magic disappear!"

"Oh, I have no doubt it was," Ginny replied. "It's just... I can't make head or tail of it, not yet anyway. It's not nightmarish, by any means," she added, "but it surely is the kind of experience, which, were you to tell it to anyone, they'd send you straight to the mental ward at St. Mungo's."

"Oh, I don't know," said Hermione. "Seamus and Pansy talking to some being from a different dimension who knows a lot about us... I don't think there's much that can surprise me after this week," she added wryly.

"Yeah, well, after a while, all of us were together again — my parents, Ginny, me, the twins, Bill, Charlie. Bill was beside himself with worry about Fleur, I doubt he noticed much about our surroundings," Ron continued.

"Or rather, lack of surroundings," Ginny corrected. "And we were all together when we saw those... lights... moving rapidly towards us. I was just watching them, kind of idly. I wasn't afraid, only curious. I knew instinctively there was no reason to be afraid, but I could tell Mum and Dad thought differently." She took another deep breath, overwhelmed by the recent events and reliving them while telling.

Ron chuckled softly as he caressed Hermione's shoulder. "Go on, young Ginny, continue; you're doing well!"

She glared at him. "Ronald, don't mock me, or else you'll suffer the consequences once we get the magic back! Just because Red Cloud called me that doesn't mean you have a right to! _You_ couldn't even hear him!"

"Red Cloud?" Three voices echoed as one.

"You've heard of Red Cloud?" Ron asked incredulously.

Remus, Tonks and Hermione looked at each other, and Hermione started, "Umh... That medium I mentioned? The one Seamus and Pansy have met, well, Red Cloud speaks through her."

Ginny nudged Ron roughly. "See, you dolt? I wasn't nutters! _You_ just don't trust your instincts!" She gave her brother a look of annoyance that matched her tone, and turning to face the other three, she added caustically, "You see, my _brother_ here," pointing at him with her head, "told me I'm crazy, that I was hearing voices, because _he_ was unable to communicate with _any_ of those beings."

Ron's face had turned bright red in embarrassment at her words. "It's not like any of the others could _communicate_ with Red Cloud," he argued defensively. "And the only other one able to hear them speak was Charlie! Neither Mum nor dad nor the twins could!"

"That's right, but at least _they_ didn't make fun of me, like you've been doing!" Ginny stated hotly.

"Alright, you two!" Remus admonished the fighting siblings. "Fight all you want later, but tell us what happened first," he demanded. "I have a feeling that this is not coincidence, Red Cloud appearing to more than one person, people who are connected through magic, I might add."

"The very first thing Red Cloud taught me was that coincidences do not exist," Ginny reported, her face taking on a smug expression as she glanced sideways at Ron.

"I could agree with that," Hermione stated. "In fact, I've always wondered why the wizarding world held such a _Muggle_ view of life..." Her thoughts drifted off to the many conversations she had had with her father who had always shown an interest in the supernatural, despite his earthly profession. His interest increased further once Hermione had received her Hogwarts letter. Three sets of eyes looked at her blankly; only Ginny's face expressed understanding.

"What do you mean, Hermione?" Remus asked.

Hermione thought for a long moment, trying to find a way to explain her view. "It's kind of hard to explain," she sighed, "but I'll try anyway... Aside from the ability to use a wand for magic, there are other differences between the Muggle and wizarding world. I'd say the majority of Muggles live an everyday struggle to have enough to be comfortable, whereas we have — or had — far less problems with at least making ends meet. If we want something in particular, we are creative. With the ability to utilise magic, we can generally _create_ that something, possibly out of something else that we no longer have use for or want. By utilising magic, we have more time for ordinary things like cooking and cleaning."

Hermione paused, again having difficulty putting her thoughts into words. The expectant looks on the faces of her audience, however, encouraged her to try. "So, really, not having to struggle so much, we have _more_ quality time to ourselves than most Muggles could ever hope for. And yet — I know a few Muggles who ponder... the deeper questions of life, so to speak, whereas I don't know of _any_ witches or wizards with an interest in... esoterics." The last word came out hesitantly, as if she was afraid that using such a cliché term would be met with disdain.

"I think," Tonks started slowly, "one reason that we appear to hold such a view, is that we are born with a certain amount of knowledge." She breathed in slowly, evidently finding it as difficult as Hermione to word her thoughts.

Ginny seemed to understand perfectly well. "Yes, and because that knowledge is already within us, we take it for granted, and most of us don't bother learning more," she offered matter-of-factly.

Hermione could not help but admire her younger friend, who seemed to have matured even more over the course of one week.

Ginny then continued, "Red Cloud told me of at least one known wizard with extensive esoteric knowledge, but unfortunately, he didn't give a name." She sighed, but straightened up to continue her report of the Death Eaters' failed Vanishing.

"I spent quite a long time talking to Red Cloud. He is very wise, and he has a wonderful way of making me feel comfortable..." Her face took on an expression of contemplation.

"Umh, Ginny, didn't you say Red Cloud was merely a light? How is it possible for a light to not only contain wisdom, but also teach and invoke comfort?" Remus' expression showed just how much at a loss he was.

"I know it's hard to imagine," Ginny replied. "I had — still have — trouble comprehending it all, at least on a rational level.

"Imagine how huge the universe is, and then compare the relatively small size of the earth to it. It kind of makes sense that there are likely many different life forms, probably quite a number of different ones on each inhabited planet. Earth, as big as she appears to us, with her many different life forms, a number of continents and so on, is all but a twinkle when compared to the universe." She stopped, and a giggle escaped her. "I'd never have thought I'd remember that much of what Red Cloud told me."

Hermione was intrigued. Much of what Ginny had just said was echoing her father's view. He once told her, when they were discussing the possibility of aliens, _'Honey, we'd have to be extremely arrogant to assume humans are the only intelligent life in the world. Our planet is tiny, compared to some, so why shouldn't there be other intelligent races — even more intelligent than we are?'_ She had just returned from Hogwarts for her first summer holiday as a witch, and his serious contemplation never completely left her mind since.

Another thought came unbidden to Hermione's mind. "Ginny," she started, "would it be possible that you were channelling Red Cloud just now?"

Ginny immediately shook her head. "No. Red Cloud told me he would never speak _through_ or _to_ me directly, and I have no reason to doubt his words. He explained the different ways of communication with people. Some people, very few by the way, _channel_ him. That means, basically, their own consciousness goes to sleep, literally, and he uses their body, or throat rather, to communicate with whomever is there that needs comfort or advice.

"Then there is one human whom he guides throughout that one's life and communicates with directly. Although, he did say that his charge is hard of hearing at times, where communication is concerned — I'm not quite sure what he meant by that! And then, there are a few people with whom he communicates only for a certain amount of time, when someone is in need of his particular skills. There is a lot more he explained, and he's not the only one in his dimension doing that kind of work. He's part of a larger group, all of them doing what he does, all of them very wise, just like he is. And each one of them has one particular skill that stands out. Like Red Cloud is able to offer comfort like no other. Another one has a particular flavour of humour that tends to make people feel good. And so on..." Ginny paused again.

Hermione pondered over Ginny's words and asked, "How did these light beings rescue you? And where are your parents and brothers?"

"Red Cloud and a few others apparently noted a sudden, untypical drop in the frequency that Earth vibrates on. So they investigated, found us being Vanished and decided to interfere. They cut the Vanishing short, and instead of us floating between dimensions for the remainder of our lives, we stopped in their dimension where they could help us return to our own. And the reason we took over a week to return is that in their dimension, time doesn't exist. Or at least not in the same way as here. Also, Red Cloud said that the Vanishing had done some damage to our DNA, and we all needed healing to get our DNA back intact, and that took a while.

"Well, we're all back here in this dimension, and we're all healthy. It seems that Red Cloud was right when he told me that we'd each go where we feel we have to go once we return. Mum and Dad went to join the Sprout healing sanctuary. The twins went to see if they can find the Lovegoods. Bill went straight to France to be with Fleur. And Charlie set off to Hogwarts, following Red Cloud's advice. None of their choices made sense to me, except Bill wanting to be with Fleur, but after what you've told us, the pieces are beginning to fall into place," Ginny finished.

"And you two decided to come here," Tonks observed.

"Yeah," Ginny said softly. "Ron thought Hermione would be here, or at least you would know where she is, and I... I was hoping to find Harry." Her eyes filled with tears, and for the second time in a day, it was up to Remus and Tonks to provide comfort to someone going through the experience of trauma and the realisation of the loss of a loved one.

Ginny's violent sobs carried through the kitchen, but Hermione felt unable to help, unable to give comfort to the young witch. Her own breakdown, which had followed a week of suppressed emotions, was far too recent for her to be in any position to offer comfort. She shuddered at the prospect of Ron needing her, like she had needed Remus and Tonks, over losing his best friend, the fact that he was not there for Harry in his last moments, his own trauma of being Vanished, and her eyes filled with tears again.

But this time, she managed to pull herself together, albeit with great effort, and wiped them away impatiently. _It's time to move on_, she thought determinedly. _If I give in to crying my eyes out at every opportunity, I might as well return to my parents and start living like a Muggle_now

Hermione was grateful that Ron was too busy watching his younger sister with concerned eyes to notice her momentary relapse. "Ron," she whispered, "don't worry — she'll be alright. Remus and Tonks are really good at comforting someone. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience," she added wryly.

Ron looked at her in surprise. "Bloody hell, Hermione, _you_ must have gone through hell in all this!" He tightened his hold on her, which made her shiver in a pleasant way.

"Yeah, well, I've had better weeks... But haven't we all..." she remarked ruefully.

The silence that followed was now only occasionally interrupted by Ginny's sobs and hiccups, but the youngest Weasley was calming down quickly. Her sobbing eventually stopped completely, and she took a deep breath.

Tonks slowly untangled her arms from the embrace she had offered Ginny who had grabbed it like a lifeline. Her face took on a stern expression, and she ordered, "Don't even _think_ of apologising, Ginny Weasley! As we've recently learned the hard way, shit happens, and believe me, each and every one of us has been in need of comfort at one time or another over the past few days."

Ginny managed a grin at Tonks' words and murmured, "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, you could give me a hand with preparing dinner," Tonks suggested, looking from Ginny to Hermione. As if in need to explain her request, she continued, "I'm sorry, but all these ready meals taste like cardboard, are loaded with poisons and contain no nutrients worth mentioning. And unfortunately, I'm having immense trouble chopping vegetables the Muggle way!"

Hermione could not help grinning. The vision of Tonks fighting onions and garlic in the kitchen, Muggle style, did amuse her.

Ginny smiled hesitantly and said, "I'll help, although I doubt I'll be useful. It's not a skill I've ever learned."

Tonks turned to Hermione, smiling. "You probably can do it, maybe you can teach us," she suggested. Turning to Remus, she said, "Why don't you and Ron open up the front room; I bet Mad-Eye will turn up any moment, and I honestly don't need three guys looking over my shoulder while I'm cooking."

Tonks sounded like a practical housewife, and only her lover marvelled at her being able to act more Slytherin than the purest Dark Arts following pureblood. Remus knew what Ron's likely reaction would be if he learned in casual conversation of his girlfriend's plan to find Snape. It was, indeed, better for everyone involved if he was told specifically and in the gentlest manner possible. Remus only hoped that Moody would take his time getting to Grimmauld Place. He motioned for Ron to join him, and the two exited the kitchen.

Despite the excellent meal the three witches had created from raw ingredients in combined effort, dinner was a subdued affair. Ginny had been far more understanding of Hermione's self-imposed task of finding Snape than her brother, it turned out. Tonks, having overcome her stroppiness towards the idea, helped Hermione state her reasons while the Muggleborn witch gave the other two lessons in basic Muggle cookery.

Hermione breathed an inaudible sigh of relief at her friends' support. "I guess I can't hope for Ron's support in this," she sighed.

"No," both witches replied as one, and Ginny added dryly, "but he'll come around eventually, you know that. Don't worry, Hermione. Males tend to take longer to see our point, which usually turns out the correct point of view."

"Oh, I don't know," Tonks commented wistfully. "With _us_, it's usually the other way 'round."

"I know what you mean," Ginny readily agreed, and Hermione nodded. "Remus is one in a million. But you knew that, anyway."

Tonks grinned. "You're absolutely right," she agreed, looking almost obscenely happy for a moment.

Moody turned up just in time for dinner. If he was surprised to see Hermione and the two youngest Weasleys there, he did not show it. He seemed very much preoccupied but did not take long to share the reason for it. "I think Kingsley is in trouble," he grumbled. "I've been following him from a distance for two days now, and I bet you he's being tracked by at least two people at all times." He looked at his watch nervously before continuing. "I know he is going to a pub tonight, so I'll be there and try to catch him. Maybe I can corner him and get to the cause of his strange behaviour. I have no doubt he knows that he's being tracked. And I can smell his fear," he added with a growl.

Hermione looked at Remus questioningly. _Should they tell Moody about Seamus' letter? Or might that only fuel Moody's ever evident paranoia?_ Remus nodded at her imperceptibly and turned to face the older wizard.

"Alastor, there is not enough time to tell you all of today's findings and events, but considering your task ahead, have a read of this." Remus pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Moody.

The old Auror handed it back after reading it, looking thoughtful.

"I've had a feeling some Muggle scumbags are giving him hell," he growled and then turned his concentration on the food in front of him.

Nobody spoke for a while, each one occupied with eating and their own thoughts of the mystery that shrouded Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Moody stood up abruptly, startling everyone. "I better be off," he growled. "Thanks for the meal. Good food."

Remus stood up to take him to the door. "Do let us know about Kingsley as soon as possible," he urged the old Auror. Then he added, "Try and convince him to come and stay here. This looks like the safest place for him."

"I'll be back — if not tonight, then soon, anyway. I want to hear your news, too." That said, he exited number twelve and disappeared into the now rapidly fading twilight.

The moment Moody left, Ron turned towards Hermione. "Why do you feel you have to find Snape? I don't get it! The guy is a murderer," he accused.

_Here we go..._ Hermione sighed inwardly. She was getting tired of having to justify her plan of action at each and every turn. She was surprised to hear Tonks speak up for her before anyone else had a chance.

"He _killed_ Dumbledore, Ron. Whether it was murder or not is anyone's guess. We don't know his motives. And then, there is the fact that he not only saved your mate's life, but he also cut short the Final Battle by killing several Death Eaters. Who knows how it would have ended if he had not stepped in to kill the final ones remaining..." Tonks regarded him seriously before she continued, "Add to that what Dobby told Hermione, and I daresay, our best shot to get the magic back is her plan to find Snape, murderer or not"

Ron still looked mutinous. Hermione knew she had not heard the end of it, but at least he let it go for now. The silence that followed Tonks' words became palpably uncomfortable. Looking at Tonks, Hermione stood up and started to clear the table.

She was immediately joined by Ginny and Tonks, who sighed, "I wish we had the magic back. How do Muggles cope with all this housework?..."

Remus moved to the sink, started filling it with water, and between the four of them, the kitchen was quickly returned to its perfectly clean condition. _That wasn't too bad,_ Hermione thought. She knew of a number of Muggle families where only the woman of the house ever did the housework, where it never occurred to the male members of the household to contribute to such mundane tasks.

Ron had been sitting at the table sulking, and Hermione sat down next to him, resting her hand on his arm. "Ron," she started softly, "can we, today, just enjoy being together again? It's been one hell of a week for both of us, and right now, I'm just not ready to argue about anything..."

She was met with a glare. "Oh. You want me forget for now that you're going after Snape? SNAPE! How can you expect me to do that, Hermione? He killed Dumbledore! Whether he is a murderer or not, he killed who we thought was the only person he respected! How could you expect me to forget that, even for one minute, especially after we spent more than a week apart, neither of us knowing what had become of the other. How could you even begin to think I wouldn't stop you from seeing him, Hermione?" Her shoulders slumped in defeat, but he continued regardless. "We've just lost our best friend. We've lost _most_ of our friends. We've lost a whole world, what with the magic gone! I feel that all I have left that is worth living for is you. And you want to go off to someone who we've been convinced has been on the Dark side for over a year, ever since he killed Dumbledore? Hermione... please..."

Rationally, she could see his point. It made sense to her, just like any magical theory, be it Potions or Arithmancy related, had always made sense to her. She fully comprehended what he was saying. And yet... She suddenly felt doubts stir within her. It was not rational, by any means. But something inside told her to put her foot down about her plan to find Snape.

"Ron, please," she whispered. "Just today, let's put any differences out of the way." Then she pleaded, suddenly tired beyond belief, "Please?"

"Alright, love," he replied tiredly. "Let's just go to sleep, and tomorrow will be another day."

As the days moved on, Hermione felt more and more desperate to fulfil her self-imposed task. She knew she needed to get away from Ron for a while. Not that she did not feel love for him still, but getting the magic back was at the forefront of her mind, and at the moment, Ron was proving to be too much of a distraction. The initial happiness to have her boyfriend back was beginning to wear thin with all his instigated quarrelling about her wanting to find Snape.

Remus and Tonks had urged Hermione to stay at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, at least until they heard more about Seamus and Pansy's sessions with the medium and Moody's report on Kingsley Shacklebolt. She agreed, if only in the hope of gaining some kind of insight as to the state of the wizarding world. Maybe Moody would get it out of Kingsley. She dared not hope that they would find the cause of the disappearance of magic.

Hermione's patience with Ron's constant whining was fading more with each day she stayed at Grimmauld Place. It was only Tonks' and Ginny's frequent admonishing that gave her some desperately needed breathing space and with it, peace for herself. Eventually, even that was insufficient, and she blew up at him.

"Ronald Weasley!" she said, barely containing her anger. "I don't care what you think on this particular subject. _You_ should know, just like everyone else from the wizarding world, that we need the magic back in order to preserve our world! And if I don't give it a shot to do my bit, I'll regret it. I know I will, especially _if_ the magic won't come back!"

"But to go to Snape?! Do anything you like about finding the magic again, but DON'T GO AFTER HIM!!! I don't care what Tonks and Remus say, as far as I'm concerned, the guy is a murderer!... And a DEATH EATER!" Ron yelled at her. Then he looked at her, his face full of despair. "Hermione, love, please! What if he's still a Death Eater? What if he sets a trap for you? _You_ know better than anyone else that he's never liked you. How can you risk your life like that?"

Hermione turned away from him. Studying the pattern on the floor, she said tonelessly, "The guy you call a murderer saved my life. He did _not_ have to kill several Death Eaters, his _friends_, or at least _former_ friends, in order to save one Muggleborn witch. His action, and his action alone, ensured that _we_ won. If he hadn't killed them, they would have caused further rampage, no doubt taking even more lives with them in the process."

Ron gave her a calculating look. "Is that why you want to find him? Because you owe him your life? Do you feel that you have to be with him, to comfort him? Maybe offer him some pleasure, too, whilst you're at it, out of sheer gratefulness for saving your life? Is that why?"

Hermione stared at him in complete shock from his implied accusations. _I don't believe this. This can't be happening,_ she thought, feeling almost detached from the entire situation.

With great effort, she pulled herself together. "I don't quite know where this comes from, Ron, but if nothing else, grant me some taste. If I didn't think it futile, I'd list the various reasons for my wanting to find him yet again. As it is, you don't have a hope in hell of understanding. Because you don't _want_ to understand." She stood up and moved towards the door.

"How am I supposed to take this?" Ron asked her, confusion spreading across his face over her words. "Look, 'Mione," he stuttered, "if I... if I hurt you, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean to."

Hermione glared at him. "Don't call me _that_!" she hissed. "As to how you take this — as one famous Muggle book character stated, _Quite frankly, I don't give a damn_!" That said, she exited the room.

"Don't worry, Hermione, he'll come around eventually," Remus assured her later, once again there for her, once again offering comfort. "It took Tonks a few days, too. All that has happened, it has had a different effect on each individual, and each one of us tries to cope in a different way. And don't forget," he added with a grin that definitely resembled mischief, "males generally take a wee bit longer." She had to laugh at that, especially coming from Remus, who had, somewhere on the path that was life, acquired more wisdom than the present three female inhabitants of number twelve, Grimmauld Place combined.

"Oh, Remus, can't you give him some training? Sometimes I wish he was a bit more mature. And less hurtful," Hermione pleaded, only half-jokingly.

"I'll see what I can do," Remus replied noncommittally, regarding her with a serious expression. "Don't let these quarrels get to you, Hermione. You're both young, and it's bad enough that most of your teenage years were spent fighting against Voldemort in one way or another, directly or indirectly. Find something, or even some_one_ you can truly enjoy. You owe it to yourselves, after all the recent events. And whatever you decide to do, you know you'll be fine as long as you follow your heart."

Hermione realised the value of Remus' advice more instinctively than rationally. _Follow your heart_ became her motto, her mantra. From that moment on, whenever she was not certain as to which direction to take, she consciously listened to her heart — and was not particularly surprised that life suddenly seemed somewhat... easier.

She was not surprised either when, a day later, a visibly embarrassed and depressed Ron approached her to apologise for his harsh words. Hermione accepted his apology, albeit cautiously, reasoning, "Your words hurt me, Ron. I need some space at the moment to... to _file_ everything away, and I can't do that until I make sense of it. There's just so much that has happened lately!" He neither argued nor tried to convince her otherwise, but the entire six feet of Weasley resembling pure dejection told her enough. Hermione sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for both him as well as herself. Then, she pulled herself together. _Time to start the future... now — as in NOW,_ she shouted to herself.

The arrival of Pansy's letter a couple of days later instigated Hermione's imminent departure. The content of Pansy's letter only hurried it.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I know Seamus has written to Remus already, about our first session with Red Cloud. I went to see Valanga again this afternoon, upon Red Cloud's invitation. He told me a lot, through her, of course, and he urged me to write to you a.s.a.p. So that's what I'm doing. Everything below was said by Red Cloud - I took notes this time._

_The first message was to let the 'Young Redhead' know that he IS watching over her and to assure her that she will be fine. (It was kind of strange being corrected in my writing by a spirit, I can tell you! I have written it exactly as Red Cloud told me to!)_

_The next messages pertain to you — well, I'm assuming it is you. He did not state specific names, but he said "the young witch who saved your life", and since nobody else saved my life, except for Seamus maybe — he definitely saved my sanity, for sure, and he's not a witch but a wizard — I concluded that Red Cloud was talking of you. In fact, the more he went on, the more convinced I became that it was you._

_The most vital advice is to FOLLOW YOUR HEART. Red Cloud told this to me, but also said to tell you, in case you didn't know yet. It is absolutely vital that we follow our hearts. As he explained further, if something we set out to do does not feel completely right, then we must not do it. At least not until we are clear about it, and it does feel right. He gave the example of me not following my parents' orders to join the Dark Lord (He actually said "Dark Lord"!) — of course, otherwise I'd never gotten close to Seamus, and I am very happy that I followed my heart on that particular occasion._

_Read about Wilhelm Reich. Some Muggle, I presume, but Red Cloud stressed that. He said it will come in very handy when you work with the wizard who did not want to kill. And keep an open mind about the whole subject. Look at it from a spiritual perspective rather than a scientific one._

_And hurry to get to your new destination. Return to your friends on weekends, by all means, but get there. Time is of essence in this world, and you need your magic back sooner rather than later. And please bring your favourite weed with you; it is needed._

_Those were the words of Red Cloud, and I can't say they make a lot of sense to me. But he makes me feel wonderful, and I trust him, so I've passed the messages on to you._

_I hope you're doing well, Hermione. Please let me know. I will never forget what you did for me, and I hope that one day I can return that to you. Or maybe not. I don't ever wish for anyone to be in such a state as I was when you found me. But please, if there is anything I can do for you, just let me know, and I'll try my utmost best, no matter what._

_I'm going to "see" Red Cloud again in a couple of days. I'm rather looking forward to it. He's so wise, and I feel so cosy when he's around, maybe you could come here sometime to experience that feeling for yourself. It's incredible and... well... out of this world._

_Seamus says hi._

_Love,_

_Pansy_

The good-byes between Hermione and those staying behind were emotional. Over the past few days, she had come to highly value her friendship with both Remus and Tonks and knew that she would miss both. Since her quarrels with Ron, she had also spent more time with Ginny and came to respect her even more than before. She wistfully wished that she, too, could have a dose of the wisdom and the comfort Red Cloud had offered Ginny, who utilised everything the spirit had offered to gain more spiritual insight for herself — and for others' benefit as well.

Parting with her boyfriend was hardest, though. "Is there going to be a future, Hermione? Is there going to be an 'us'?" he asked her with a choked voice.

Hermione gave him an incredulous look and snorted. "If you think that one single argument is all it takes to break us apart, then I'm very sorry, Ron. Gain some confidence, please! One fight doesn't stop me from loving you, you know."

One last kiss, one last hug, one final wave back to the front door where the others had assembled to see her off, and then she made her way to the train station, ready for her next journey, the outcome of which was highly uncertain. At least after what had transpired from Pansy's letter, she felt more hopeful about finding Snape.

After the most uneventful journey, during which Hermione started reading up on Wilhelm Reich with the only book she had managed to find in a hurry, and which left her feeling lost as she had no clue as to why she was supposed to be researching that particular character, she arrived at her destination: a small, drab Midlands town, which had an air of abandon, even despair, to it. The young witch shuddered at the prospect of having to spend the next few weeks, or even months, in such a depressing location. _There might as well be dementors here,_ she thought dejectedly, her mind half playing with the notion to forget all about Snape and return to at least some measure of happiness that could be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Then she snorted. _Get a grip, Granger. The feel of this place is by no means as difficult as being around the greasy git is going to be. Might as well get used to coping right now,_ she admonished herself and straightened up as a wave of determination swept through her. She exited the station, only briefly stopping to ask for directions to Spinner's End. Although the street was at the opposite end of town, the local assured her that it was barely a twenty-minute walk away.

It was not just the _air_ of abandon, Hermione noticed. Many houses looked as if they had not been occupied in a great many years. When she finally reached the street that was Spinner's End, a slight sigh of relief escaped her, which was almost instantly cut short when a déja-vu came down upon her. Something reminded her of something else, and it took her minutes to put a meaning to it.

The air of abandon that had prevailed for the entire time it took her to walk from the railway station was no longer evident, despite some houses obviously lacking occupants here, too.

It was magic, she thought, startled at the realisation. The magic that had flavoured the air at Hogwarts, in Hogsmeade, and in Diagon Alley, was present here. Not strong, she noticed, but sufficiently present for her to recognise. Suddenly excited, Hermione fished for her wand in her luggage and pointed it at a lone leaf on the ground. "_Wingardium Leviosa_," she murmured almost reverently and stood back to observe the leaf. It refused to rise, but it _did_ stir, albeit barely.

The young witch tried again, this time with intent and determination. The leaf was lifted maybe half an inch before gravity regained power and pushed it back on the ground.

It took Hermione some time before she gained composure enough to finally complete her journey. She stood there, stunned and wondering how she had managed to discover one place where magic was still evident, even though only weakly, at this particular location.

_Fancy that — magic near the former resident bat of Hogwarts' dungeons when it's nowhere else to be found,_ she thought wryly and then sighed. _Time to face the snake's lair. Better get a move on!_ With that thought, she pulled herself together, straightened up and walked towards the last house on the street.

As she reached the small gate to the front garden, her ears perked up. Someone inside was playing the piano. Or rather, someone was playing a recording of Rubinstein or some such renowned pianist. She stopped for a moment, recognising one of Beethoven's Sonatas and appreciating the beautiful sounds the artist was coaxing out of a piano, or more likely grand-piano. Then, she determinedly opened the gate, walked to the front door of the house, noting on the way that the house appeared inhabited and its front garden well looked after, and rang the bell.

Nothing could have prepared Hermione for the surprise that met her as the door was opened from inside. "Hermione," Parvati Patil said, her face beaming. "We've been wondering whether it would be you and when you'd turn up!" She opened the door further and stepped aside, inviting Hermione to enter.

"Parvati," Hermione acknowledged weakly as she entered the house. "What on earth are _you_ doing here... Isn't this where Snape lives? Or at least where he was residing until a couple of weeks ago?"

"What I'm doing here — long story. But yes, this is Severus' home," Parvati confirmed, in her usually cheerful and polite manner that was familiar to Hermione. Her eyes widened considerably when Parvati so casually called Snape by his first name. "He should have gathered enough magic soon, and then you can talk to him," she added. Noting Hermione's confusion, she explained, "The only way we can maintain magic here is for Severus to play the piano for a few hours every day. That way, at least he can concoct the healing potions Draco needs, and occasionally it's sufficient for some cleaning tasks and a bit of cooking, too."

Hermione looked at her incredulously. "That's _him_ playing the piano? Oh, Merlin, I thought it was a recording of Rubinstein or someone like that when I heard it outside!" she exclaimed.

What was going on? Magic found in the vicinity of Snape's home, the git himself turning out to be a gifted pianist, and right now probably the only wizard being able to maintain some measure of magic; Parvati, a fellow Gryffindor, living in his home and evidently comfortable being around the most Slytherin of all Slytherins? _This can't be real. I must be dreaming,_ Hermione thought, completely dazed.

She would have expected anything — anything unpleasant where Snape was concerned — but to associate him with anything as highly pleasant and creative as playing the piano like a virtuoso astounded her as much as being met by a fellow Gryffindor at his home. The shocked young witch gratefully accepted the seat Parvati offered, her knees feeling rather weak.

"What... what are _you_ doing here?" Hermione asked, rather bluntly, trying to regain her composure at the same time. Then she added curiously, "And what is it with the magic? I felt it as soon as I turned into this street. I couldn't believe it! There's no magic left anywhere I know of!"

"I know..." Parvati sighed. Then she started to explain while Hermione listened raptly. "Where to start... Oh well, I guess the beginning would be a good starting point." She laughed, but quickly sobered to tell her story.

"To know the reason for Severus' actions where I'm concerned, I need to tell you that my dad was a couple of years ahead of Severus when he went to Hogwarts — he was in Ravenclaw — and once came to Severus'... help when Sirius Black and James Potter bullied him. That was about Severus' third or fourth year, Dad doesn't remember exactly. After Dad left Hogwarts, they didn't stay in contact, but apparently, Severus never forgot. When, a couple of months after my parents had taken us out of Hogwarts, he learned that a couple of Death Eaters were contemplating kidnapping us, for sheer sport — it didn't even have anything to do with Voldemort," she shuddered, as did Hermione at the thought of falling into the hands of Death Eaters. "Anyway, Severus came to our home, to warn my parents not to let us out without proper protection. Mum and Dad immediately decided that a prolonged visit to India was in order, and Padma was quite happy to tag along. But I wasn't. I know my heritage is Indian, but my life is here, and I really couldn't stand the thought of being cooped up with my family over there for an indefinite amount of time. So I said I wouldn't go, to my dad's dismay." She stopped for a moment, as if totally unused to speaking more than a few syllables at once.

"I can imagine," Hermione said softly. "I only spent a week with my parents after Voldemort's demise, and that was hard enough. To think of being sent to a country you're not that familiar with and not knowing how long for... I would refuse to do that, too."

"Thanks... I couldn't bear the thought. At the time, I felt I'd rather risked hiding here in England and being found by Death Eaters... And then, the big surprise came. Severus suggested that I could stay with him. He said he was doing some ongoing Potions project, and that with my interest in cosmetics, I might make an _adequate assistant_. You can imagine the way he said it, sneers and all," Parvati smirked, and Hermione laughed outright at her words.

"Anyway, what came as an even bigger surprise to me was that my dad actually agreed. Mum didn't want me to stay behind, even less so staying with a _Death Eater_, but Dad put his foot down. He said he knew Severus to be trustworthy, and what with the wizard debt he likely felt he owed, he was probably going to guard my well-being with his own life." Parvati took a deep breath and then finished, "So, that's how I came here. About three months ago."

"Wow..." Hermione was lost for words. Fascinated by Parvati's story, she never noticed that the music had stopped.

She startled when a silky voice drawled, "_Wow_. Isn't that a rather _common_ way of expressing awe?"

center /center

A/N

Big thank you to NSS who has been doing an absolute fantastic job cleaning up my English. You rock!

I have written some additional thoughts/Author Notes about this particular chapter, with regard to the subject of channelling, in my livejournal, if you're interested. Feel free to leave a comment there.

Please let me know what you think of the story. One review per posted chapter really does not give me much incentive to update regularly.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: The characters are the property of JKR and whomever else she's willing to share with. Not me, in any case. However, the plot is mine. Mine. Mine. And I solemnly swear I'll return the characters in good condition and all the richer with experience when I'm done playing with them.

Chapter IV - Red Cloud Speaks

Hermione gaped at Snape, again shocked.

"Come on, Severus, be nice!" Parvati admonished him mildly and added, "Hermione didn't expect magic here, nor had she expected to find you turned into a musician."

He quirked his eyebrow at her and quipped, his manner not unfriendly and the former trademark sneer entirely absent, "Me and _nice_ do not go together, as you should know."

Before Parvati had a chance to say anything, he turned to face Hermione and offered, in a somewhat more sardonic manner that reminded Hermione uncomfortably of just _why_ she had been so reluctant to face him again, "My apologies, Miss Granger, if I fail to meet your expectations."

"Oh, no, everything so far would have by far exceeded any expectations, had I had any," she assured him quickly, not quite certain what to make of _this_ Snape who had already turned back to Parvati.

"Have you checked on Draco? I take it he is sleeping again?" His face had taken on a concerned expression.

"Yes and yes," confirmed Parvati. "It's a shame you don't have any woodruff left! He was definitely improving with that one potion you gave him — he almost returned to a normal sleeping pattern. And now, he's back to spending most days asleep," she finished sadly.

_Woodruff?_ Hermione thought. _I can help with that_. She was about to speak up when Snape turned to her again.

"Miss Granger, you didn't, by any chance, raid your parents' garden and bring some woodruff with you?" enquired Snape. And then more to himself, he murmured, barely audibly, "Maybe he didn't get a chance to let her know."

All Hermione could do was shake her head dumbly, and, not having the courage to ask _how_ he knew about her parents' herb garden, she offered, "I can phone my parents and ask them to send some."

Hermione's mother loved gardening, and her father loved to study ways to utilise the natural forces to work in his favour. It was thus that her parents' herb garden was born. An ever ongoing project for the couple, which not only offered a welcome contrast to a busy working day, but also inevitably led to appreciating both culinary delights and medicinal uses of the produce, the garden offered an abundance.

Old time, non-hybrid roses were grown along with lavender in order to keep away the pests that in many a year affected roses all over England, while calendula kept the carrots company, making sure there were no carrot fly infestations. The lush green of parsley was comfortably sat beside the jasmine bushes, and not only was it a visual feast, but the jasmine had survived many winters with temperatures below freezing, and the parsley leaves had decorated many holiday dinners, providing much welcomed nutrients to their bodies at the same time. The very beneficial side effect of companion gardening was that there was no need for artificial fertilisers, and keeping to a lunar watering schedule not only saved water, but weeds were appearing so rarely that each discovery was worthy of being marked in the calendar.

"If you wouldn't mind, Miss Granger. Parvati can show you the house while I tend to Draco." Snape turned away from her and nodded at Parvati as he exited the room.

Glancing at Hermione's travel bag, Parvati asked, "You're here to stay, right? Come on, let me show you where everything is, and let's get your bag out of the way. Severus doesn't like clutter."

Hermione let herself fall on the sofa. Some of her tension had diffused with Snape leaving the room, but she felt as if she had entered some bizarre movie scene. "Parvati," Hermione pleaded, "would you mind explaining all this?" She gestured at the house and let her hands fall helplessly down to her sides again.

Parvati gave her a look of understanding. "I know what you mean, Hermione. I was quite surprised to find Severus to be very different from what I remembered from Hogwarts. I'd always expected him to be the _bastard Snape_, know what I mean?" Hermione nodded. "He is... not quite the bastard, although he's definitely still sarcastic when he's in the mood for it. And when he's in one of his broody moods, I stay away from him," Parvati finished.

"So what is it with Draco?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Draco hasn't quite been himself since Professor Dumbledore's death. Severus told me that at first, he was completely shaken, and when he learned of the Unbreakable Vow that his mother had made with Severus, something in him kind of clicked. He's convinced that it's his fault that Severus had killed Dumbledore, no matter how much explaining he has done to convince Draco otherwise. I don't know any details of that. Draco is suffering from severe depression. And the only potion Severus has come up with that really helped was one that had Sweet Woodruff and St. John's Wort as the main ingredients. St. John's Wort grows in Severus' garden. I've searched high and low for a Muggle source that offers Sweet Woodruff, but I haven't had any luck so far."

"So how did he know that my parents grow it in the garden?" Hermione asked, only to be disappointed.

"Ah," Parvati smirked. "That is for Severus to tell. Come on, I'll show you around. I'm sure we'll have time later to talk about everything," she added and got up.

Hermione threw her travel bag over her shoulder and followed Parvati out of the front room into a surprisingly spacious, semicircular, well lit corridor. She suspected that this corridor was added much later to the original part of the house. Not only was its semicircular shape a stark contrast to what from outside she had perceived to be the typical design of a 1950s bland, fast, and square mass construction, but also because most of the light was provided by the glass roof, now offering the view of a slowly darkening sky that was a deep blue except for two bright contrails cutting across it. Doors obviously leading to other areas of the house were interspersed with tall and narrow windows that offered views to different areas of the garden. The little spaces of actual wall were white-washed. Hermione decided to give the garden a closer look the next day as it was getting near the end of the day and sunlight was waning.

Parvati stopped about halfway down the corridor and turned back to Hermione. "Severus would love to put the piano here, but unfortunately it isn't practical, this being an outside wall," she explained, waving her hand over an area where the corridor expanded in width, pointing to two cosy chairs separated by a small table of solid oak. She continued, "So, instead, he's turned it into a kind of corner for quiet contemplation. If you take a closer look at the walls, they have lots of crystals adhered to them. It's quite a sight when the sun shines on them—the entire corridor looks like a rainbow."

Hermione's eyes widened. Snape and quiet contemplation in such a beautiful surrounding simply did not quite fit. "Parvati," she said weakly, "are you going to tell me next that he's a gourmet cook? Or maybe a saint?"

Parvati laughed. "Well, he is a very good cook, I must admit. But don't worry, he's definitely not a saint," she assured the fellow Gryffindor before motioning her to follow into the kitchen. Although, calling this particular space a kitchen, or even room, was quite an understatement.

Unbidden, visions of The Burrow at its cosiest entered Hermione's mind, and with it the stabbing pain of all the losses the Final Battle had incurred. She pulled herself together and forced to concentrate on the interior. It was a kitchen, no doubt, only it was much more than that.

To the left of the door was a range, clean, and presently not in use. Cast iron pots hung from a cast iron frame suspended halfway between the range and the ceiling, leaving enough head room to stir any dishes cooking on the range, but low enough for a reasonably tall person to reach any pots without difficulty. Adjacent to it was a wooden table that represented a work top, and beside it an old-fashioned deep rectangular sink. Cupboards, more work tops, and a Welsh dresser displaying a colourful selection of plates and bowls were resting against the wall opposite the range. The end of the kitchen side was taken up by a wall-to-wall window with a rather wide ledge covered with various herbs and flowers.

The centre of the kitchen area was taken up by a large oak table with chairs or obviously different styles gathered haphazardly around it, giving the room an air of lived-in, cosy comfort, to which the large candle chandelier above the table only added.

The kitchen ended there, but not the room. Instead, the open space continued, turning into a living area in a smooth transition, Hermione noted with surprise when Parvati switched on another light that bathed the next part of the room into a warm glow. An upright piano stood against the wall that was an extension of the one harbouring the Welsh dresser. Opposite, bookshelves leaned against the wall, lining the entire right side from floor to ceiling, only once interrupted by an unusually narrow set of double French doors leading to the garden. The end wall to the right was again dominated by a very large window. The only untidy space was a small, short bookshelf strewn with sheet music and handwritten notes. Nevertheless, Hermione felt this little bit of a mess offered a welcome contrast to the otherwise almost meticulous tidiness of the remaining space. She took a deep breath.

"This is _so not_ what I expected," she said, feeling utterly confused and helpless.

Parvati nodded ruefully. "What exactly did you expect?" She was unable to hide her curiosity.

Hermione looked at her, surprised. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I guess anything to do with... discomfort. Something _not_ nice. Certainly not this cosy," finished Hermione, not quite certain how to word her confused thoughts of their former Potions professor.

"I felt similar at first," Parvati admitted and continued, "But, you know, the way I got to know Severus... Let's just say this particular room, his sanctuary, as he tends to call it, suits him to the core." Then she motioned Hermione to follow her past the piano, past the small shelf, to a door that revealed a staircase leading up to the first floor.

Upon reaching the top, Parvati switched on the lights and turned again to the other witch. "You might have noticed the stairs leading up from the front room. They go to a different area of the house, mainly Severus' Potions lab, and there's no electricity there. _This_ part of the house has electricity throughout. Come on, I'll show you my space. We'll have to share a bedroom until we can sort out some different arrangements."

Parvati opened the first door to the left of the rather narrow and straight corridor, and Hermione realised they were now right above Snape's _sanctuary_. She was once again lost for words. The room she entered was not large, by any means. It would have barely passed as a 'generously proportioned single room' in any classified advertising private housing.

What caught her breath, however, was the incredible efficiency with which every inch of space was being utilised. One corner housed an obviously custom-made desk that reached from the floor to the ceiling, giving sufficient space not only for the typical activities conducted at a desk, but also accommodated many books, parchments, a telephone, and a computer.

A good sized window separating the desk from the other corner promised a good supply of natural light during the daytime. A wide bookshelf fit snugly into the space below the window ledge, and Hermione lost any inhibitions now that she was in Parvati's room rather than in Snape's home. She gave the books a quick look-over and startled. These types of books would even have held fascination for Lavender Brown, her and Parvati's former dormmate. Every conceivable recipe for cosmetic potions could probably be found on this one shelf, Hermione had no doubt after skimming over the titles. _Potions For Sensitive Baby Skin_, _Potions For The Mature Skin_, _Nutritious Rejuvenating Potions_, _Glamourising Potions_, _Cleansing Potions For Hair And Body_, were just a few titles she glanced at. The young witch looked up into Parvati's smiling face.

"I guess you have an idea now why Severus thought I was adequate for the job," she remarked.

"Let me guess," Hermione replied dryly, "He makes a living selling cosmetics to Muggles." She did not quite expect Parvati's answer.

"Right in one!" Parvati beamed. "Severus is friends with this beekeeper who also sells natural cosmetics, mainly ones containing honey or beeswax. Apparently, most of the Muggle commercial products are laden with poisonous chemicals, and there is a growing number of Muggles who are looking for alternatives."

Hermione was unable to hold back a giggle. "Oh, goodness, Parvati, Snape manufacturing cosmetics? For Muggles, no less?" She found the thought simply inconceivable.

"Well, _I_ do most of that side of potions. He's mainly busy with brewing medicinal potions for Draco. And then he has to play the piano regularly, in order to keep the magic up," volunteered Parvati and waved her hand to another prominent corner of the room. This one was dominated by a large sink and two small stoves with medium sized cauldrons, one iron, one glass, suspended above and surrounded by wooden shelving covered with jars of various sizes.

Parvati seemed to sense that Hermione had reached saturation point where _Snape news_ was concerned and suggested gently, "Come, let me show you the bedroom and bathroom, so you can dump your luggage there and freshen up. I'll organise some drinks, and then we can sit down here and chill." She pointed to the centre of the room with its four squashy chairs and a small, round, wooden table.

Hermione gratefully followed Parvati into her bedroom and then took her time in the bathroom. She had much to digest and made the most of the short-lived recluse. _So much change in one afternoon_, she thought, _I wonder what tomorrow will bring..._

When the young visitor returned, Parvati reminded her to phone her parents to ask for the Sweet Woodruff. Speaking to her mother calmed her nerves somewhat, but she felt justified to drink the proffered Firewhisky nevertheless.

Parvati, far more perceptive than Hermione remembered, steered the conversation to more mundane subjects, until they inevitably landed at the days after the Final Battle and her arrival at Spinners' End.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Upon Parvati's invitation to enter, Snape stuck his head through the slightly ajar door. Parvati groaned, "Oh, no, is it dinner time already? I completely lost track of time!"

Snape quirked his eyebrow and suggested, "If you are hungry and want _hot_food, you better come down now." Not waiting for either witch, he turned and exited.

Parvati and Hermione hurried and entered Snape's sanctuary just as their former Potions professor sat down at the table with a full plate. Parvati grabbed two plates off a shelf, handed one to Hermione and motioned for her to help herself. The food was simple but nutritious and tasty, and for the first few minutes, everyone was busy eating.

Eventually, Snape spoke in his typical sardonic manner, "If you wish to eat meat, Miss Granger, there is a pub about ten minutes walk from here."

Hermione looked at him in surprise. She was sure she remembered seeing him indulge in meat dishes at Hogwarts in the past. She remained silent, though, considering that she was a guest at his home, not quite sure how to reply.

Parvati rolled her eyes at Snape. "I'm sure one of these days you _will_learn to be civil, Severus!" Turning to Hermione, she explained, "The reason we keep a vegetarian diet is that meat seems to affect our magic negatively. And maybe, if we volunteer to clean the kitchen after dinner, Severus might be convinced to give a bit more information to you."

Snape sighed dramatically, very unlike Professor Snape, Hermione noticed, and grumbled to Parvati, "If you're willing to brave the wildlife in the cellar and get a 1986 bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape and open it now to let it breathe, I _might_just agree to give some explanations."

Parvati smirked and stood up to follow his request. When she returned with the bottle shortly afterwards, the young witch remarked, "No critters this time. Have you willed them away, Severus?"

"I have done no such thing. Might be because of the recent increase of owls," he replied blandly.

Hermione tried her best not to gape. It was one thing to _hear_ about her former Potions professor being 'not so bad,' but it was an entirely different matter to witness him being civil, even displaying a sense of humour.

Hermione startled when she suddenly heard the classroom voice of Professor Snape. "Miss Patil, pray tell, what spell have you subjected Miss Granger to, she is in a near catatonic state!"

Parvati glared at him. "Anyone of your former students would be in that state if they met you now, Severus," she pronounced and started to clear the table. Hermione pulled herself together and stood up to help her former dormmate. In joint effort, they put the kitchen back to its former state, in readiness for the next meal.

In the meantime, Snape had moved to the small sofa near the piano and bookshelves. Three wine glasses were sat upon the small coffee table, and as soon as the two young witches sat down opposite the sofa, Snape prepared to pour the exquisite wine. Then he sat back down again, clearly relaxed.

Hermione looked at him expectantly until he met her gaze and quirked his eyebrow. "Any questions, Miss Granger?"

"Yes. No. I…" She felt an utter loss of words. What could she ask? _You used to be the most horrible person imaginable. What happened?_ No, she figured, that would be the wrong approach.

However, before she could find the right words, Snape addressed her. "You came here because you had reason to believe that collaborating with me will get the magic back, not just in occasional pockets but globally. Furthermore, in your quest, you defied several people's opinions about me being a murderer, me being the most horrible person on this planet, so to speak; me… being me. You set out, despite your own misgivings, despite your own fears. I might have saved your neck once, but you had no way of knowing how I would react seeing Gryffindor's Know-it-all in my own surroundings. For all you knew, I might have been hiding the last Death Eater. Correct, Miss Granger?" He looked at her questioningly, as if truly interested in her reply.

Hermione could not help gape. Finally, she asked, somewhat bewildered, "How do you know all this? The few people I've been with lately have no idea of your whereabouts, so none of them could have told you!"

Snape smirked at her words and took his time replying. When he finally did, Hermione felt even more bewildered. "I believe a spirit guide recommended you read Wilhelm Reich, or what's left of his works?"

Hermione nodded. "I only managed to find one book in the short time I had, and I've not finished reading it," she explained.

"Yes, I'd have been surprised if you had found more. Most copies got burned by some Muggle government officials who felt threatened by the information contained therein." That said, he stood up, moved to the bookshelves and withdrew two books, which he handed her. "Studying these two in addition to the one you have already will bring you up to par, and we can then start working on bringing the magic back." He uttered the words as if he had absolutely no doubt that the task would be successful, Hermione noticed as he sat down again. Snape poured some more wine for all before relaxing deeper into the chair again.

Hermione noticed Parvati rolling her eyes at him and found herself unable to hide a grin.

"Parvati, your behaviour ensures that Miss Granger will lose even the last shred of respect she may have had for me," he sighed.

"Slytherin or not, Severus, Hermione, I believe, is here to help you with getting the magic back. You know you can't do it on your own, and what's more, you've known for days she'd be joining us, so the least you can do is be courteous and tell her _everything_," Parvati countered.

Snape looked at her pensively for a long moment. "You know, it's disconcerting how accurate your perceptions are of late," he said.

Then he turned towards Hermione and started to speak with a serious expression. "Old habits die hard, Miss Granger, and I tend to fall back into the persona I was forced to portray for nearly two decades—that of the sarcastic bastard, nasty bat of the dungeon, scary teacher—even though I don't mean to, most of the time. I apologise."

Hermione, hard put to hide her surprise, and nodding her acceptance silently, looked at him expectantly. He continued. "The spirit guide I mentioned—_my_ spirit guide, to be precise—is temporarily offering advice to one of your contacts. A Slytherin, if I'm not mistaken." Snape looked at Hermione questioningly.

"Yes, Pansy Parkinson," Hermione confirmed quickly. "In fact, it's a spiritual medium that channels Red Cloud, and Pansy and Seamus have been visiting her and then communicated the information to me while I was staying at Grimmauld Place." Hermione hesitated for a moment before asking, "So, Red Cloud is _your_ spirit guide?"

"That he is," Snape answered. "And I believe Red Cloud was the driving force in bringing _you_ here," he added, sounding odd. Hermione thought his voice might have sounded affectionate, had it not been Snape's.

The young witch was suddenly overcome with a feeling of warmth. It was not merely physical, more the way she would feel when overcome by instinctive knowledge that everything was going to work out perfect, that obstacles meant nothing and would be overcome easily. She looked at Parvati whose face carried an expression of sheer delight.

"Oh… Red Cloud is here, isn't he, Severus?" Parvati asked, excitement evident in her voice. She turned to Hermione and explained, "I've only witnessed Red Cloud being present a couple of times, but his energy is incredible. It makes me feel all warm and content and… happy."

Snape's face showed a state of relaxation that Hermione thought made him look almost like an entirely different person. When he spoke, it was with a soft voice that carried a mixture of happiness and deep respect, if not reverence.

"Greetings, Red Cloud. I am, as always, at your service."

The voice that answered came from nowhere. Afterwards, Hermione was not even sure if it hadn't been in her head entirely, but it came across as too loud and too clear to not be physical, even though she could see nobody new in the room.

"Greetings to you. I see your helper has arrived. Treat her fairly, Dark Man, for you need to collaborate closely for your project to succeed. I will give you as much help as you need, but know that it is _you_ who will bring your magic back."

Both Parvati and Hermione watched in awe as Snape presented a deeply relaxed state and spoke in a low voice that emitted nothing but deepest respect for the entity from higher dimensions that was his spirit guide. "Thank you for your timely visit, Red Cloud," he acknowledged quietly.

Red Cloud took over again. "Your skill in researching is required here, Gryffindor. Concentrate on the findings of Orgone. You will both find that there is a better, or rather, more effective way to create Orgone, but it will take some experimenting before you achieve satisfying results. This is the key for regaining your magic."

Everyone took in the information that Red Cloud had just divulged. Hermione found herself surprised that she did not doubt Red Cloud's words in the slightest. Her eyes wandered wistfully between Snape, who was still deeply relaxed, and Parvati, who looked as awestruck as Hermione felt.

The atmosphere cooled marginally as Red Cloud slowly withdrew. A few minutes later, Snape stretched languidly and then checked the time.

"I better go and entertain Draco for a while," he said, slowly standing up.

"We'll clear up here and then probably call it a night," Parvati remarked.

Snape briefly waved his hand at both witches and left the sanctuary to tend to Draco.

Hermione spent the following days immersed in books, occasionally helping Parvati concocting cosmetic potions. Evenings were spent with her former dormmate and former Potions professor, talking about the research Hermione was doing on Wilhelm Reich's findings on Orgone, discussing new possibilities to improve the cosmetic formulas, and pondering over Draco's reluctant improvement.

Hermione's parents had obliged and sent a package of dried Woodruff to Snape's home, and the Potions master immediately set to work to brew potions that would improve Draco's state of mind. In the first few days after administering the new potion formula, nothing happened, but after nearly a week, Draco emerged from his room in the late afternoon and even joined the three for dinner. He barely said anything, but did acknowledge Hermione politely. She figured it was an improvement to his previous near-catatonic state most of the time.

The days may have been spent in a routine manner, but neither Hermione nor Parvati ever felt bored. Parvati took delight in experimenting with new cosmetic formulas, all fuelled by lively discussions during evenings, and Hermione enjoyed being able to immerse herself so fully in research, even though she felt somewhat lost in the beginning. What did researching a physical bio-energy basis for Sigmund Freud's theories of neurosis in humans have to do with finding a way to bring the magic back? Her question was not answered immediately, and she continued reading through the books, the content of which she found nevertheless fascinating, although frequent references to Sigmund Freud made her squirm with discomfort.

Neither witch had any idea what Snape was up to when he was not playing the piano or brewing potions for Draco, but Hermione did not care. She loved listening to his playing most afternoons and laughed at Parvati's delighted expressions that they would be able to use magic to clean the dishes after dinner.

Hermione came to treasure not only the sessions Snape spent playing the piano, but also the occasions when Red Cloud made his presence known and challenged her about her current research. It always started the same way as the first session she witnessed, with a feeling of warmth and secure comfort overcoming her, very often followed by Parvati's utters of delight and her former professor deeply relaxing into the chair in his sanctuary.

"Gryffindor, get over your discomfort of the connection with Sigmund Freud. There is far more to Wilhelm Reich's findings than the sexual connection instigated by Freud. Libido is nothing but life energy, desire, the source of human striving, not necessarily in sexual terms, although it all is interconnected. Reich developed the libido concept, concentrating on its physical expression and simultaneous psychological content, until he was able to show the relation of bodily attitude and emotion. He left the path of Freud's theories, those which left no room for anything but sexual matters, rather early on.

"In order to regain your magic, you need to know _all_ his works. Read 'Character Analysis' next, it explains the relation of mind and body, and you need to understand that. And then you and your collaborator need to find a way to create Orgone without the danger that Wilhelm Reich encountered. You cannot afford to risk anyone's life."

Hermione remembered the words she had read recently: "Warning - misuse of the Orgone Accumulator may lead to symptoms of Orgone overdose. Leave the vicinity of the accumulator and call the 'Doctor' immediately!" She had also learned that what Freud had termed libido, Reich called Orgone, and it could as well be termed Life Force or, as Asian healers typically referred to it, Chi. She was still unable to make the connection to magic or how to regain it with the newfound knowledge, but she was willing to overlook the connections to Freud, who to her was nothing but a sex-obsessed and even deranged psycho-analyst, for Reich's findings fascinated her on every level.

At the same time, she felt embarrassed. Red Cloud had evidently been keeping an eye on her, and she did not like her discomfort openly being discussed in front of others, least of all Snape. He was nowhere near as sarcastic as he used to be at Hogwarts, and she was startled to realise that she felt perfectly safe around him, but she was no more willing to share her most private thoughts or feelings with him than with any other former teacher except maybe Remus Lupin, who she had long ago started to consider a friend rather than a figure of authority.

One day not long after she arrived at Spinner's End, Hermione discovered the back garden and almost instantly declared it her own sanctuary. It was possibly the only pocket of full magic left on the entire island, and magical it was. A few owls, the number of which was slowly increasing, spent their days sleeping in trees and bushes, a unicorn occasionally came to graze on the small meadow that seemed to have been created for just this very purpose, fairies zoomed around the magical plants that grew all over the garden, and the little patch of herb garden produced potion ingredients as well as those little, but significant, additions to tasty dinners in abundance.

Hermione was not particularly surprised when, one day, she was interrupted from her studying by a snow white owl. On closer inspection, she recognised Harry's Hedwig.

"Hedwig!" she exclaimed. "What brings you here? Where have you been?"

Hedwig looked at her in disdain and hooted mournfully. Then she stuck her leg out for Hermione to untie the piece of parchment she was carrying. Hermione obliged quickly, wondering who would be able to send her a letter the magical way, when most of the magic was gone. She unfolded the parchment and was surprised to recognise Ron's handwriting.

_Dear Hermione,_

_I doubt you'll ever get this letter since the magic seems to have disappeared completely, but Hedwig flew into my bedroom this morning and looked so miserable, so I figured I might try and give her something to do._

_I miss you something fierce. Weren't you going to come back for weekends? I would love to see you and spend some time with you. I know I was a complete prat before you left, and I'd just like the chance to make up for it._

_You might not be able to send word back with Hedwig, that is, if you get this letter at all, I don't have a clue how the owls work now that the magic is gone. So, I guess, I'll just wait for you every Friday afternoon/evening and see if you come here. Unless you are so absorbed in whatever it is that you're doing that you don't want to take a break. We haven't heard from you, Hermione! Even Remus and Tonks have no idea how you are. Please at least write, if not via Hedwig, I'm sure there is a Muggle Post Office nearby._

_Love,_

_Ron_

Hermione could not hide a smile. It was good to hear from her boyfriend, and he was right. She was far too absorbed in studying Wilhelm Reich in order to bring the magic back. She resolved to talk to Snape about spending a weekend in London at her earliest opportunity.

A/N

Galium odoratum - Sweet Woodruff

Big thanks to NotSoSaintly who tirelessly weeds out all my punctuation or lack thereof as well as all those typos that seem to sneak themselves in. You rock!


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